Supreme Court justices reported receiving gifts, including a stay in a Bali hotel and tickets to a Beyoncé concert, as well as nearly $1.6 million in book advances and royalties. They released their annual financial disclosure forms for 2023 on Friday.
Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas, facing criticism for not disclosing gifts from businessman and Republican donor Harlan Crow, revised his 2019 form to acknowledge he accepted “food and lodging” at a Bali hotel and a California club.
Liberal Justice Kentaji Brown Jackson received four concert tickets from music superstar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, valued at $3,711.84.
Conservative Justice Samuel Alito, who faced criticism for reports of flying flags associated with Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn his 2020 election defeat, received a 90-day extension on his filing.
The filings detailed the justices’ outside income, gifts, and investment transactions last year. These disclosures come under increasing scrutiny as the justices face revelations of failing to report luxury trips, including those on private jets, and real estate transactions.
Thomas
Thomas reported no trips in 2023, citing security concerns after the leak of the court’s 2022 decision to overturn the constitutional right to abortion. However, he disclosed trips to Dallas, Texas, and New York’s Adirondack Mountains in 2022.
The disclosures highlighted the lucrative nature of book publishing for members of the nation’s highest judicial body. Jackson’s advance for her memoir “Lovely One,” set for release in September, was $893,750. Besides the Beyoncé tickets, Jackson received artwork for her chambers worth $12,500.
Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh listed $340,000 in book royalties from Javelin Group and Regnery Publishing. Axios reported on Thursday that he is writing a memoir expected to be published in 2025 or 2026. Conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch reported $250,000 in book royalties, and liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor earned nearly $87,000.
These publishing proceeds supplement the justices’ salaries. This year, the eight associate justices will receive $298,500 each, while Chief Justice John Roberts will get $312,200.
Alito controversy
Alito, a member of the court’s 6-3 conservative majority, is embroiled in an ethics controversy after refusing to recuse himself from two pending cases related to the 2020 election and the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Alito said his wife flew the flags at their homes and neither knew the flags were associated with Trump’s “Stop the Steal” movement.
Under pressure from continuous criticism over ethical standards, the justices adopted their first code of conduct in November. Critics and some congressional Democrats argue the ethics code does not go far enough to promote transparency, as it still leaves recusal decisions to the justices themselves and provides no enforcement mechanism.
Last month, Democrats reiterated the need for legislation after Alito rejected their calls for recusal in the 2020 election cases.
