Berlin, September 10, 2024, The Europe Today: US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has reported receiving $900 (€811) worth of concert tickets from Gloria von Thurn und Taxis, a German socialite, according to newly released financial disclosures. The annual filing, made public on Friday, does not specify the event but identifies the tickets as a gift from von Thurn und Taxis, a well-known figure in German society.
The disclosure comes amid growing scrutiny over ethics at the US Supreme Court, where concerns have been raised regarding justices receiving undisclosed gifts and travel from wealthy benefactors. The annual reports offer a partial view of the justices’ finances, as they are not required to disclose the value of their homes or their spouses’ salaries.
Justice Alito, along with other Supreme Court justices, is paid an annual salary of $298,500, while Chief Justice John Roberts earns $312,200.
Von Thurn und Taxis, whose royal titles were abolished by the Weimar Constitution in 1919, has maintained her status as a prominent and controversial figure in Germany. Known for her deeply conservative Catholic views, she has sparked debate with her comments on same-sex marriage, climate change, and the coronavirus pandemic. Her association with right-wing figures, including former US presidential adviser Stephen Bannon, has also drawn criticism.
Von Thurn und Taxis is a regular host of the annual Thurn und Taxis Castle Festival in Regensburg, where this year’s program featured Georges Bizet’s opera Carmen. The event attracted protests, in part due to her connections with Germany’s far-right Werte-Union and a 2023 meeting with Hans-Georg Maassen, the former head of Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
As the Supreme Court faces mounting calls for greater transparency, Alito’s latest financial disclosure adds to the ongoing conversation about ethics and accountability at the highest level of the US judiciary.
