Full Breakdown
Supreme Court Justices Disclose Over $2 Million in Book Royalties, Teaching Income, and Gifts
6/30/2026, 9:53:56 PM
Financial Disclosures Reveal $2 Million in Book Royalties, Teaching Income, and Gifts
Financial disclosure reports filed for 2025 reveal that eight of the nine justices reported more than $2 million in combined book-related earnings, teaching salaries, and gifts. The reports also list a $2,500 painting for Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and $4,333 in concert tickets received by Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
Growing Scrutiny of Judicial Outside Earnings
Public interest in judicial outside income has risen after prior revelations of unreported luxury trips and real-estate deals. Book publishing now ranks as a major supplemental source for justices, whose base salaries are $306,600, with Chief Justice John Roberts earning $320,700.
Reported Earnings by Individual Justices
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson disclosed a $1.18 million advance from Penguin Random House for her memoir titled Lovely One and a $2,500 painting. Justice Sonia Sotomayor reported $88,100 in Penguin royalties for her children’s titles and $4,333 in concert tickets from Rimas Entertainment. Justice Amy Coney Barrett listed $849,071 in royalties from her book titled Listening to the Law and $33,285 in teaching pay from Notre Dame Law School. Justice Neil Gorsuch recorded $300,361 in royalties—primarily from HarperCollins for the children’s book titled Heroes of 1776: The Story of the Declaration of Independence—and $30,380 in teaching income from George Mason University. Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Justice Amy Coney Barrett each earned $33,285 as adjunct professors at Notre Dame. Justice Clarence Thomas received $18,000 from Catholic University of America School of Law, while Chief Justice John Roberts earned $25,000 from New England Law. Conservative Justice Samuel Alito was granted a 90-day extension and filed no earnings for 2025.
Official Statements & Responses
Both the Supreme Court and Rimas Entertainment declined to comment when approached for clarification on the concert-ticket disclosure and other details. The Court’s office reiterated that the filings are routine annual financial disclosures required of senior officials.
Criticism & Calls for Transparency
Advocates argue that past failures to disclose luxury travel and real-estate deals raise concerns about transparency and potential conflicts of interest. Lawmakers have called for stricter reporting standards and independent oversight of judicial outside earnings.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Justice Samuel Alito’s 2025 filing remains pending after a 90-day extension, leaving his outside earnings unreported. The disclosure form did not specify which Bad Bunny concert Justice Sotomayor attended. Several justices, including Chief Justice Roberts, reported no publishing income, creating an incomplete picture of total judicial earnings.
Verbatim Quotes
- “provided tickets for a concert for me and guests while I was on a private trip to Puerto Rico in August 2025.” — Sonia Sotomayor, Justice
- “Worthy,” — Paul Branton, artist
- “Lovely One” — Ketanji Brown Jackson, Justice (memoir title)
- “Listening to the Law” — Amy Coney Barrett, Justice (book title)
- “Heroes of 1776: The Story of the Declaration of Independence.” — Neil Gorsuch, Justice (children’s book title)
What’s Next
The Court will issue additional rulings on Tuesday as its term concludes, and the justices are expected to file 2026 financial disclosures in the coming months.
