Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas Under Fire for Fishing Trip with Republican Donor

The trip was allegedly paid for by two other Republican donors.

The Federalist Society, a conservative legal group, reportedly helped arrange the logistics of the trip.

ProPublica claims that the trip places Alito under obligation to recuse himself from a dozen cases brought before the court by the hedge fund since the trip.

However, Supreme Court justices are allowed to determine whether their "impartiality might reasonably be questioned" in any particular case.

Alito insists that he was never swayed by the trip and was never paid for the trip.

The most significant case was decided by a 7-1 majority, with Alito's input not necessary to secure a payout for the donor.

Alito also said that the seat on the plane would have been vacant had he not taken it and that his lodgings in Alaska were less luxurious than reported.

The associate justice said that he did not report the trip as the court's rules at the time did not require him to.