ALITO’S ETHICS DEFENSE THROWS THOMAS’ UNDER THE BUS

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (June 21, 2023) — Today, a new ProPublica report revealed that Justice Samuel Alito was flown out for a luxury fishing vacation by Paul Singer — a right-wing billionaire who has brought business before the Court during Alito’s tenure. As ProPublica reports, Alito did not disclose the trip on his financial disclosure forms — seemingly a violation of federal law — and did not recuse himself from cases where his financial relationship with Singer could reasonably be considered a conflict of interest.

“One day it’s ‘my superyacht trips funded by a GOP megadonor were ethical because we’re such close friends,’ and the next it’s ‘my luxury fishing vacation funded by a GOP megadonor was ethical because I barely knew the guy.’ One thing is clear: Thomas and Alito had better get their story straight before they’re called in to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee,” said Sarah Lipton-Lubet, president of Take Back the Court Action Fund. “At this point, the right-wing justices are goading Congress to step up and make use of their oversight authority. The longer Congress delays holding these justices accountable, the longer our rights remain in the hands of whichever conservative billionaire is offering the best all-expenses-paid vacation package.”

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