Watchdog Groups Urge Senate Probe of Alito Over Up to $245,000 in Oil Stocks
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 14
Watchdog Groups Urge Senate Probe of Alito Over Up to $245,000 in Oil Stocks
2 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 14
A coalition of watchdog and environmental groups asked the Senate Judiciary Committee to investigate Justice Samuel Alito, saying his participation in oil-industry cases may breach Supreme Court ethics rules.
Alito’s latest disclosure showed $60,007 to $245,000 in seven oil and energy stocks, plus up to $100,000 in a Vanguard fund with Exxon as a major holding, while he did not recuse from the Suncor-Exxon climate case.
The groups say that reversal is especially troubling because Alito recused himself from a 2023 petition by the same companies in the same lawsuit, but joined the court when it agreed in February to hear the case.
They also cited Alito’s ties to billionaire Paul Singer, whose Elliott Investment Management owns more than 52 million Suncor shares worth over $2.3 billion.
The complaint tests the Supreme Court’s 2023 ethics code, which tells justices to step aside when impartiality is in doubt but leaves recusal decisions to the justices themselves.
Can a justice with energy stocks on the line deliver an impartial ruling on the oil industry's future?
Could one upcoming ruling effectively end all climate accountability lawsuits against big oil nationwide?
If the Supreme Court polices itself, is its new ethics code ultimately powerless to enforce accountability?
Justice Alito’s Energy Stock Controversy: Senate Investigation Demands and the Crisis of Supreme Court Accountability
Overview
The report highlights growing controversy over Justice Samuel Alito’s financial interests in major energy companies and his involvement in Supreme Court cases affecting the climate and energy sectors. Watchdog groups have called for a Senate investigation, arguing that Alito’s recent financial disclosures reveal direct conflicts of interest. They insist that his investments should require him to recuse himself from key climate-related cases, such as the Boulder case. The ongoing debate raises serious concerns about judicial impartiality and ethics, as Alito’s continued participation in these cases challenges public trust in the Supreme Court’s integrity.