Samuel Alito's Wife's Business Dealings Under Scrutiny
Leased Land to Oil and Gas Firm While Justice Fought EPA
Martha-Ann Alito, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, leased land to an oil and gas firm while the justice was hearing cases involving the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The revelation has raised questions about whether Alito should have recused himself from those cases, as his wife's financial interests could have influenced his decisions.
In one case, Alito voted to strike down an EPA regulation limiting greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. His wife's company, J.C. Alito Enterprises, owns land in Texas that is leased to a company that drills for oil and gas.
The EPA has been investigating J.C. Alito Enterprises for potential violations of environmental laws. In 2017, the company was fined $200,000 for failing to properly dispose of hazardous waste.
Alito has denied any wrongdoing, and has said that he did not know about his wife's business dealings with the oil and gas industry.
However, the revelations have raised questions about the potential for conflicts of interest on the Supreme Court. Critics argue that justices should be required to recuse themselves from cases involving companies in which their spouses have financial interests.
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