Judge Alito accepted vacations at an Alaskan resort from Republican donors, according to a report

WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito agreed to a 2008 trip to a luxury Alaskan fishing lodge from two wealthy Republican donors, one of whom repeatedly had interests in court, and did not disclose the trips. in its financial statement for that year, ProPublica reports.

TO story posted Tuesday night by the nonprofit investigative journalism organization claims that in July 2008 Alito flew to a remote corner of Alaska aboard the private plane of businessman and Republican donor Paul Singer. A hedge fund founded by the billionaire has brought about a dozen cases in court since then, ProPublica reported. Alito did not recuse himself from participating in any of those cases.

Alito’s three-day stay at the King Salmon Lodge was paid for by another wealthy donor, Robin Arkley II, a California-based mortgage company owner. Leonard Leo, then the leader of the conservative legal group The Federalist Society, helped arrange the trip, including securing a place for Alito aboard Singer’s plane, which would have cost Alito at least $100,000 if he had chartered the plane himself, ProPublica reported.

Supreme Court justices, like other federal judges, are required to file annual financial disclosure reports, w Then ask them to list the gifts they have received. However, the higher court is not bound by a binding code of conduct that applies to lower court judges, giving judges the freedom to write and enforce their own rules.

alito strongly disputed the findings in a Wall Street Journal op-ed published before ProPublica published its story, stating that it was under no obligation to disclose details of the trip or recuse itself from cases involving Singer’s hedge fund.

“My recollection is that I have spoken to Mr. Singer on no more than a handful of occasions, all of which (with the exception of one small talk during a fishing trip 15 years ago) consisted of brief, casual remarks at events at those attended by large groups,” Alito wrote. “On no occasion have we discussed his business activities, and we have never discussed any case or issue before the Court.”

“As for the flight, Mr. Singer and others had already made arrangements to fly to Alaska when they invited me shortly before the event, and asked if I would like to fly there in a seat that, as far as I know, would otherwise would have been vacant. I understood that this would not impose any additional cost on Mr. Singer,” Alito wrote.

The disclosure about Alito’s acceptance of the trip comes as the court faces increased scrutiny over ethical issues, including requiring judges to disclose details of paid travel expenses. That has led Democrats in Congress ask for legislation that would impose binding ethical rules on the court.

ProPublica previously reported that Judge Clarence Thomas accepted decades of unrevealed travel from an old friend, Republican megadonor Harlan Crow, which included stays at Crow’s private resort, flights aboard his plane, and a vacation aboard Crow’s yacht in Indonesia. Crow also purchased property from Thomas and paid private school tuition for a nephew of Thomas whom Justice helped raise.

Since the passage of a Watergate-era law, judges are supposed to report on the gifts they receive. But both Thomas and Alito have argued that a “personal hospitality” provision in the law exempts them.

In March, the federal judiciary increased disclosure requirements for all judges, including superior court judges, though overnight stays at personal vacation homes owned by friends remain exempt from disclosure.

The hostel where Alito stayed often attracted celebrities and wealthy businessmen, typically charging guests $1,000 a night.

An image from the trip published by ProPublica shows Alito in wellington boots with a fishing guide, posing with a huge king salmon. On another day, the group flew aboard a small plane to a waterfall in Katmai National Park, where bears catch salmon from a waterfall.

In the evening, the group dined on king crab legs or Kobe beef. A member of the group bragged that the wine they were drinking cost $1,000 a bottle, one of the lodge’s fishing guides told ProPublica.

But Alito wrote that the accommodations were far less opulent, calling the lodgings “comfortable but rustic.”

“I can’t remember if the group at the lodge, about 20 people, was served wine, but if there was wine, it certainly wasn’t $1,000 wine,” he wrote.