Supreme Court Justice Alito’s Fossil Fuel Earnings Spotlighted Ahead of Climate Case

A recent review of Justice Samuel Alito’s financial disclosures indicates he has accrued as much as $2.9 million from oil and gas investments over the past two decades, with at least $390,000 earned between 2005 and 2024. Much of the money is linked to a mineral interest held by his wife, Martha-Ann, on a property in Grady County, Oklahoma. The Supreme Court is about to hear a case brought by Suncor Energy and Exxon that seeks to shield fossil-fuel producers from state and local climate-damage lawsuits.

Although court ethics require recusal when a justice holds stock in a party to a case, Alito’s holdings do not include the specific companies involved, so he is not obligated to withdraw. Lisa Graves of Court Accountability questions whether the financial connection could compromise his neutrality, noting the broader implications for other climate-related cases. The arguments will commence on October 5, and similar scrutiny has been applied to Justice Elena Kagan over unrelated climate-related work.