On Friday, May 15, 2026, the Daily Beast reported that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito is facing calls to recuse himself from a climate change case due to a perceived conflict of interest. Despite these calls, Alito has refused to recuse himself from the case.

A coalition of liberal groups has requested the Senate Judiciary Committee to investigate Alito’s involvement in the case, which involves energy companies ExxonMobil and Suncor Energy. The case revolves around a Colorado lawsuit seeking damages for harms related to climate change, and these groups point to Alito’s past stock holdings in energy companies as a reason for his recusal.

According to a court spokesperson, Alito, 76, maintains that he does not have a financial interest in any party involved in the case, and his counsel has advised that recusal is not necessary. While Alito does not currently own stock in ExxonMobil or Suncor Energy, he previously held stock in oil companies ConocoPhillips and Phillips 66, as well as other energy firms, according to his most recent financial disclosure report filed last year.

Liberal groups have accused Alito of “undermining public confidence in the impartiality of the court.” They argue that his “irregular recusal practice in oil and gas industry-related cases is undermining public confidence in the impartiality of the Court.” These groups believe that Alito should adhere to enforceable ethics standards in cases where he has financial interests or the appearance of a conflict of interest that might reasonably question his impartiality.

Under Supreme Court ethics guidelines, justices are not required to recuse themselves from cases unless they have a direct conflict of interest, such as stock ownership or a personal relationship with one of the parties. However, the letter sent by the liberal groups argues that justices should still recuse themselves if their impartiality might reasonably be questioned by an unbiased and reasonable person aware of all relevant circumstances.

Oral arguments before the high court are expected during its next term, starting in October.

 

 

Source: Daily Beast