Justice Alito Can’t ‘Originalism’ Himself Out of Corruption Charges 

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 21, 2023 – In the latest revelation about corruption on the Supreme Court, ProPublica reported on Justice Samuel Alito’s acceptance of a 2008 Alaska fishing trip furnished by billionaire Paul Singer, including private jet transportation. 

In advance of ProPublica’s report, Justice Alito took it upon himself to provide his response not to ProPublica but in the form of an op-ed in the Rupert Murdoch-owned Wall Street Journal. In his response, he attempted to justify accepting these lavish gifts by denying that they were gifts, distorting the reporting requirements for private travel, and pleading ignorance on Singer’s direct connection to many cases before the Court. 

Alliance for Justice President Rakim H.D. Brooks issued the following statement: 

“These Supreme Court justices just don’t get it. The rest of us will likely go our entire lives never flying on a private jet, yet Justices Alito and Thomas both seem to incorrectly believe they can accept these lavish gifts without it reflecting on the integrity of the Court. It doesn’t matter if a billionaire is your friend or not; if you’re letting them pamper you, it’s going to undermine your credibility and the rule of law in every case in which they have an interest. 

“It’s wholly implausible that Justice Alito was unaware of Paul Singer’s connection to cases before the Court or that he doesn’t know how to read the disclosure laws he’s obligated to follow. His brazen prebuttal makes it clear he thinks he’s above the law, and it’s no surprise that his decisions, like Dobbs, have devastated the public’s faith in the Court. 

“Our justice system deserves far better. We are past due for reforms like an enforceable code of ethics, term limits, and Court expansion to undo the damage of their corruption and abuse of power. Congress must act and the public must ensure that reform is their number one priority.”