Disclosure forms released Thursday offer a narrow glimpse into the Supreme Court justices’ finances and income.
The financial disclosure forms for 2018, which the Supreme Court does not make publicly available online, were obtained and distributed by the group Fix the Court. While the documents show the outside positions each justice holds and how much income they earned from them, they provide few other details.
The forms indicate that Justice Neil GorsuchNeil GorsuchDemocrats should initiate a ‘Fire Mitch McConnell’ campaign Ginsburg sides with conservative justices in ruling over prison sentence Supreme Court rules against Obama-era provision on Medicare reimbursements MORE received a $225,000 advance from Penguin Random House, which is publishing his new book to be released in the fall.
Gorsuch also reported $782.55 in other book royalties, and Justice Stephen BreyerStephen BreyerSupreme Court declines to take up Guantanamo Bay detainee’s case Supreme Court declines to take up Guantanamo Bay detainee’s case Ginsburg sides with conservative justices in ruling over prison sentence MORE earned $4,415.69 in book royalties. Justice Sonia SotomayorSonia SotomayorGinsburg sides with conservative justices in ruling over prison sentence High court sidesteps major ruling on abortion Pence calls for Supreme Court to expand ‘protections for the unborn’ MORE also reported a total of $33,000 from Penguin Random House, which has published several books by her.
Many of the justices also reported income from teaching positions they have at law schools: Justice Clarence ThomasClarence ThomasBill Maher: Buttigieg a ‘little too young’ to be president Bill Maher: Buttigieg a ‘little too young’ to be president What I saw at the last impeachment: Rules are for little people MORE, for example, reported income from teaching at George Washington University as well as the Universities of Kansas and Georgia. Chief Justice John Roberts, Sotomayor and Breyer did not hold teaching positions in 2018, according to the forms.
The documents also indicate that the justices were reimbursed by several organizations for traveling to different events. While the forms show the number of reimbursements and provide a brief description, they do not show how much money the justices received.
Justice Ruth Bader GinsburgRuth Bader GinsburgGinsburg credits Kavanaugh for helping boost number of female Supreme Court clerks Ginsburg credits Kavanaugh for helping boost number of female Supreme Court clerks Ginsburg sides with conservative justices in ruling over prison sentence MORE reported the most reimbursements, with 14 in total. Several of the trips were for films about her: The documentary “RBG” and the movie “On the Basis of Sex” were both released in 2018.
Breyer came in second with 12 reimbursements, and Justice Elena KaganElena KaganGinsburg sides with conservative justices in ruling over prison sentence Supreme Court rules against man over arrest at Arctic Man festival Trump administration asks Supreme Court for permission to enforce asylum ban MORE reported seven reimbursements.
Justice Samuel AlitoSamuel AlitoGinsburg sides with conservative justices in ruling over prison sentence Supreme Court rules against man over arrest at Arctic Man festival Indictment of Massachusetts judge invades state court independence MORE was reimbursed six times, including for travel to a pair of conferences in Italy and Switzerland.
Justice Brett KavanaughBrett Michael KavanaughDemocrats should initiate a ‘Fire Mitch McConnell’ campaign ‘Tiger Mother’s’ daughter will be Kavanaugh clerk ‘Tiger Mother’s’ daughter will be Kavanaugh clerk MORE, the newest member of the court, was sworn in in October 2018. He reported seven positions outside the court for that year, including coaching three girls basketball teams.
Fix the Court, which advocates for more transparency within the judicial system, criticized the lack of information on the forms, and for investments some of the justices hold that could present potential conflicts of interest.
The group noted in a press release that Alito has ownership in 27 companies, Breyer owned shares in eight companies and Roberts had shares in five.
That’s a total of 40 companies that the members of the Supreme Court have ownership in, down from 73 companies at the end of 2014, according to Fix the Court. Justice Antonin Scalia died in 2016, and Justice Anthony Kennedy retired last year.
“Once again, the justices took dozens of trips across the country and around the world last year in which a third party paid for their dining, airfare and accommodations, with the public left in the dark about how lavish these trips may have been,” Fix the Court’s executive director Gabe Roth said in a statement.
“Just as top officials in other branches are required to list the market value of their food, flights and hotels when they travel on someone else’s dime, the justices should have a similar requirement, so that the public can better determine whether an outside source is attempting to buy influence.”
Roberts earns $267,000 as chief justice, while the other members of the court take home salaries of $255,300.
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