Samuel Alito Just Recused Himself From Supreme Court Case [View all]

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Source: Newsweek

Published Jan 08, 2026 at 06:32 PM EST updated Jan 08, 2026 at 09:28 PM EST


Justice Samuel Alito has recused himself from a high-profile Supreme Court case involving Chevron and Louisiana parishes just days before oral arguments begin Monday.

Alito stepped aside after acknowledging a financial interest in ConocoPhillips, parent company of Burlington Resources, which remains a party in the lower court despite previously telling the justices it had withdrawn. The conservative justice initially participated when the High Court agreed over the summer to hear the dispute, but later filings prompted his withdrawal, according to a letter from Supreme Court clerk Scott Harris.

The late recusal means the case will now be argued before eight justices, raising the possibility of a 4-4 split that would leave the lower-court ruling in place without a nationwide Supreme Court precedent.

Why It Matters

At stake is where a wave of high-dollar, high-impact environmental lawsuits against major oil and gas companies will be fought: in state courts, where plaintiffs have often preferred to file, or in federal court, where defendants typically push to move the cases.

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/supreme-court-alito-recusal-chevron-case-11332936