华盛顿——在因持有石油公司股票而面临要求回避的压力后，保守派最高法院大法官塞缪尔·阿利托将不再参与一宗重大气候案件。这一最新进展是在一封发给案件代理律师的信中披露的，信中未说明原因。信中写道：“阿利托大法官已决定不再参与本案。”此前，阿利托曾通过法院发言人告诉NBC新闻，他无需回避此案。
WASHINGTON — Conservative Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito will no longer participate in a major climate case after facing calls that he recuse because of his stock holdings in oil companies. The new development was disclosed in a letter sent to lawyers involved in the case, with no reason given. “Justice Alito has determined that he will not continue to participate in this case,” the letter said. Alito had, via a court spokeswoman, previously told NBC News there was no need for him to step aside from the case, which is being argued next week and could have broad nationwide implications when the court issues a ruling.
该案将于下周进行辩论，法院作出裁决时，可能在全国范围内产生广泛影响。倾向左翼的团体一再要求阿利托回避此案。在该案中，埃克森美孚和森科尔能源寻求驳回科罗拉多州的一起诉讼；该诉讼要求两家石油公司就气候变化造成的影响赔偿损失。尽管阿利托不持有这两家公司的股票，但他的财务披露报告显示，他持有康菲石油和菲利普斯66的股票，以及另外五家能源行业相关企业的股票。
Left-leaning groups have repeatedly called for Alito’s recusal from the case, in which Exxon Mobil and Suncor Energy are seeking to toss out a Colorado lawsuit seeking damages from the oil companies for the impacts of climate change. Although Alito does not own stocks in either company, he does hold stocks in oil companies ConocoPhillips and Phillips 66, as well as five other firms involved in the energy sector, his financial disclosure report says.
呼吁他回避此案的活动人士表示，如果最高法院驳回科罗拉多州案件，他持有股票的公司可能从中受益，因为该案裁决可能直接影响全国其他类似案件，而这些公司正是相关案件的被告。最高法院目前由6名保守派大法官组成多数。阿利托回避后，法庭可能出现4比4的平局，使重大法律问题无法得到解决。石油和天然气行业希望法院作出广泛裁决，阻止科罗拉多州这类案件在州法院继续审理，从而可能避免支付数十亿美元赔偿金。
Activists calling for his recusal said the companies he holds stocks in could benefit if the Supreme Court throws out the Colorado case because it could directly affect similar cases around the country in which they are among the defendants. The court has a 6-3 conservative majority. With Alito stepping aside, it raises the possibility of a 4-4 split, which would leave the major legal issues unresolved. The oil and gas industry is hoping the court will issue a broad ruling that would prevent cases like the one in Colorado from moving forward in state courts, potentially saving them from paying out billions of dollars in damages.
在诉讼早期阶段的2023年，法院拒绝受理科罗拉多州案件中相关公司提出的上诉时，阿利托确实回避了本案。同一天，法院还驳回了涉及其他公司的类似案件的上诉，其中包括康菲石油和菲利普斯66。
Earlier in the litigation, in 2023, Alito did recuse himself when the court turned away an appeal from the companies in the Colorado case. On the same day, the court rejected appeals in similar cases involving other companies, including ConocoPhillips and Phillips 66.
阿利托也没有参与这些案件的审理。5月，一名法院发言人表示，阿利托在此前的科罗拉多州案件中“无意中回避了审理”。法院发言人当时向全国广播公司新闻频道提供的声明称：“阿利托大法官与案件所涉任何一方均不存在经济利益关系。”她补充说，法院法律顾问曾告知阿利托，“无须回避此案”。这番表态早于最近一次有人要求阿利托回避此案，理由是如果裁决有利于埃克森和森科尔，他可能从中获得间接利益。
Alito also did not participate in those cases. In May, a court spokesman said Alito had “inadvertently recused” in the earlier Colorado case. “Justice Alito does not have a financial interest in any party” involved in the case, the court spokeswoman said in a statement provided to NBC News at the time. Alito was advised by the court’s legal counsel that “his recusal is not required,” she added. That was before the most recent calls for Alito to step aside based on the indirect benefit he could obtain from a ruling in favor of Exxon and Suncor.
本月早些时候，一个名为“消费者监督组织”的权益团体指出，康菲石油和菲利普斯66在向股东提交的披露文件中警告称，如果气候诉讼对这些公司提出与科罗拉多州案件类似的主张，两家公司将面临相关风险。最高法院发言人没有立即回应进一步置评的请求。
Earlier this month, an advocacy group called Consumer Watchdog pointed to disclosures made by ConocoPhillips and Phillips 66 to shareholders in which they warned of the risks the companies face as a result of climate lawsuits making similar claims to the Colorado case. The Supreme Court spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request seeking further comment.