Justice Samuel Alito has recused himself from more Supreme Court cases than any other current justice, largely because of financial holdings that could create conflicts of interest. The pattern matters because recusals reduce the number of justices deciding a case, while the Court’s individual justices generally control their own recusal decisions and often provide little explanation.

An analysis of appeals from 2018 to 2022 found that justices recused themselves in roughly 3% of cases, with Alito and Justice Elena Kagan doing so most frequently. Kagan’s recusals were often linked to her previous work as US solicitor general, while Alito’s were commonly connected to investments; the contrast has renewed attention on the Court’s opaque approach to conflicts and ethics.