Justice Samuel Alito recused himself Monday from the Supreme Court case involving Boulder, Colorado, officials’ climate lawsuit against Suncor Energy and ExxonMobil. Calls for his recusal cited his holdings in other oil companies; the court letter gave no reason.
Alito does not own stock in Suncor or ExxonMobil, but disclosures list holdings in ConocoPhillips and Phillips 66. Consumer Watchdog said he could indirectly benefit from an industry-favorable ruling. The group’s organizing director, Alexandra Nagy, cited the court’s recently adopted ethics code and called his recusal the right decision.
The court agreed in February to hear an appeal from the companies, backed by the Trump administration. The companies argue the lawsuits threaten the energy industry and that state courts are not the right forum for a global climate issue. The Boulder case is among dozens alleging fossil-fuel companies deceived the public about climate change; billions of dollars in damages could be at stake.
