Justice Alito recused from 64 cases between 2021 and 2024 over stock holdings, but did not recuse from a case where Treasury was a named party while his son worked as a lawyer in Treasury's Office of General Counsel. The son was unlisted in public directories. The conflict was discovered by journalists, not disclosed by the court.
The Supreme Court adopted an ethics code in November 2023 after reporting on undisclosed gifts and travel from billionaire donors. The code has no enforcement mechanism. No independent body reviews recusal decisions. Justices decide for themselves whether their own conflicts disqualify them.
Pass the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act. Require mandatory recusal when a justice or immediate family member has a financial or employment relationship with a party before the court. Create an independent ethics review body with investigation authority.