Key takeaways:
- Justice Samuel Alito refused to recuse himself from an upcoming tax case involving lawyer David Rivkin.
- Sen. Richard Durbin had questioned Alito’s participation in the case, but Alito released a statement saying there was no valid reason for his recusal.
- Alito’s refusal to recuse himself has strengthened the conservative majority on the court.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority was bolstered on Friday when Justice Samuel Alito refused to recuse himself from an upcoming tax case. The case involves lawyer David Rivkin, who had interviewed Alito in two articles published in The Wall Street Journal.
Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, had questioned Alito’s participation in the case. However, Alito released a statement on Friday saying there was no valid reason for his recusal.
“There is no valid reason for my recusal in this case,” Alito wrote in the statement.
Rivkin represents the conservative legal activist Leonard Leo, whom the Judiciary Committee has questioned about his role in the selection of President Donald Trump’s judicial nominees. Rivkin has also written two articles in defense and praise of Alito.
The Supreme Court is set to hear the case in the coming months. It is unclear how Alito’s decision to remain on the case will affect the outcome. However, it is clear that Alito’s refusal to recuse himself has strengthened the conservative majority on the court.
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