Ethical Lapses
— Voiced his opposition to tribunals for Guantanamo detainees weeks before the Court heard a case on that issue (from which he did not recuse, despite public outcry), saying, “We are in a war. We are capturing these people on the battlefield. [...] War is war, and it has never been the case that when you capture a combatant, you have to give them a jury trial in your civil courts. It's a crazy idea to me.” (2006)
— Attended Koch Industries-backed retreat in Palm Springs, Calif., at time in which Koch was bankrolling several litigants with cases before the Supreme Court. (2007)
— Addressed a closed-door, closed-press event, called a "Conservative Constitutional Seminar," hosted by the Tea Party Caucus. (2011)
— Along with Thomas, had dinner with Scott Pruitt, hosted by Leonard Leo, at a time when Pruitt, then Oklahoma attorney general, was lead attorney in an open case at the Court. (2013)
— During a speech in Brooklyn, and as he and his colleagues were weighing the very issue, said it’s “truly stupid” the Court would have the “last word” on whether an NSA surveillance program oversteps the bounds of the Fourth Amendment. (2014)
— Flew on a private plane, furnished by John Poindexter, from Houston to Marfa, Tex., to stay for free in a $700-per-night room on Poindexter’s ranch, where Scalia sadly passed away. A Poindexter-controlled company was a 2015 Supreme Court litigant in 15-150, Hinga v. MIC Group (cert. denied); Poindexter’s company, J.B. Poindexter & Co., owns MIC Group, and denial of cert. preserved Poindexter’s lower court win. (2015-16)
Source: Fix the Court (PDF)