"Nearly one-quarter of the associate justice’s $1 million in individual stock holdings are in fossil fuel companies."

"Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito’s seat was empty when the Supreme Court heard arguments Monday in an important case over the oil and gas industry’s responsibility for damage to the Louisiana coastline.

Last week, the high court’s clerk notified the parties in the case that Alito would not participate due to his financial interest in ConocoPhillips, the parent company of Burlington Resources Oil and Gas Company, one of the firms accused of extensive wetlands destruction that has left Louisiana more vulnerable to costly storms.

Alito owns $15,000 or less in ConocoPhillips stock, part of a portfolio that includes seven fossil fuel industry equity investments he holds worth from $60,000 to $245,000, according to his most recent financial disclosure.

The late recusal announcement—Alito did participate last year in the court’s decision to hear the Louisiana case—underscored how his decision to hold an extensive portfolio of stocks in individual companies sets up a potential for conflicts of interest that is unique on the high court."

Marianne Lavelle reports for Inside Climate News January 13, 2026. [2]