Judge Alito’s hunting trip with a Republican billionaire

The news site ProPublica continues its revelations about the ethical problems of US Supreme Court justices. After Clarence Thomas, it was Samuel Alito’s turn to catch his eye. in condition Posted late Monday night, ProPublica claims that in 2008 the ultra-conservative judge accepted a free seat on Republican billionaire Paul Singer’s private jet (pictured that caps the post) to fly to Alaska, where he hauled salmon. “If the judge had chartered the plane himself, the cost would have been in excess of $100,000 one way,” the website said.

However, Judge Alito did not include this theft in his 2008 financial return. According to ProPublica, he likely violated federal law that requires judges to disclose most gifts they receive. The site adds that Judge Alito did not recuse himself later when cases involving Singer were discussed in the Supreme Court. ProPublica in particular cites Argentina’s opposition to the hedge fund manager, a case that allowed the US financier to recover $2.4 billion.

“Experts said they were unable to identify a case in which a judge ruled a case after receiving an expensive gift that was paid for by one of the parties,” ProPublica wrote before citing Charles J., a law professor at Indiana University and a leading expert on recusal cases. Referring to the relationship between Alito and Singer, the latter said: “If you two were good friends, what would you do to decide this case? And if you weren’t a good friend, what would you do with acceptance?” [un vol en jet privé] ? »

Judge Alito declined to answer questions from ProPublica. But he gave his version of the facts in a amphitheater Posted Monday evening Wall Street Journal Even before the article was published on the site. He wrote that he had been asked to board Singer’s plane shortly before the flight to Alaska and that the seat “would have otherwise been vacant”.

He defended his failure to include the trip in his financial statements by saying that judges had “generally interpreted” the disclosure requirements as not including “accommodation and transportation for social events”.

As the Clarence Thomas case has already made clear, US Supreme Court justices are not subject to the same ethical rules as all other justices or federal employees. Basically, they can do whatever they want. So on his hunting trip to Alaska, Judge Alito also peered into a commercial hunting lodge owned by another major conservative donor. Leonard Leo, then president of the Federalist Association, a group of conservative jurists, was one of the organizers of this trip.

(Photo ProPublica)