Alito Rejects Recusal in Climate Case Over 7 Energy Holdings

6 articles · Updated · NBC News · May 15

Samuel Alito will stay on a Supreme Court climate case after the court said he holds no financial interest in ExxonMobil or Suncor Energy and legal counsel advised recusal was not required.
Liberal groups asked the Senate Judiciary Committee to investigate, arguing Alito’s past holdings in ConocoPhillips, Phillips 66 and five other energy firms could undermine confidence in the court’s impartiality.
The dispute centers on a Colorado lawsuit seeking climate damages; ExxonMobil and Suncor want it thrown out, and a ruling next term could affect similar state-law cases against energy companies.
Alito had stepped aside in a 2023 appeal tied to the same Colorado litigation, but the court now says that recusal was inadvertent because the case was considered alongside others involving companies he owned.
The clash highlights the limits of the Supreme Court’s 2023 ethics code, which requires direct conflicts for recusal while also saying justices should avoid cases where impartiality could reasonably be questioned.

With trillions at stake, can a justice with fossil fuel investments remain impartial in a landmark climate case?

If federal law blocks state climate lawsuits, what legal paths remain for communities seeking damages from industrial pollution?

How can the Supreme Court ensure public trust when its ethics code does not compel recusal in this case?