Supreme Court Justices' Financial Disclosures Detail Concert Tickets, Multi-Million Dollar Book Payments

New financial disclosures from the Supreme Court justices reveal a variety of outside income streams, including over $4,300 in concert tickets accepted by one justice from a music label and more than $2 million collectively earned by other justices through book deals. The annual reports, made public on Monday, detail financial activities for eight of the nine justices during 2025. Justice Samuel Alito was granted a 90-day extension for his filing.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor reported receiving concert tickets valued at $4,333 from Rimas Entertainment, a Puerto Rican record label. Her disclosure indicated the company “provided tickets for a concert for me and guests while I was on a private trip to Puerto Rico in August 2025.” While the specific concert was not identified in her filing, Rimas Entertainment represents numerous artists, including global music sensation Bad Bunny, who was performing a residency of over 30 shows in San Juan during that period.

Judicial Authorship and Publication Earnings

The disclosures highlighted substantial earnings from book agreements, with four justices collectively reporting over $2 million in payments during the year.

• Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson reported an advance of $1.18 million from Penguin Random House for her memoir, “Lovely One,” which was published in 2024. This follows a previous disclosure of nearly $2.07 million in book advance income from the same publisher in the prior year. Additionally, Justice Jackson received a painting titled “Worthy,” valued at $2,500, from Chicago artists Paul Branton and Kristen Williams. The artwork is displayed in her Supreme Court chambers.
• Justice Amy Coney Barrett disclosed $849,071 in royalties related to her 2025 book, “Listening to the Law.”
• Justice Sonia Sotomayor reported $88,100 in royalties from Penguin for her children's books, “Turning Pages” and “Just Ask!” Her filing also noted that these figures are net of her literary agent’s commission, and that the publisher spent $7,473 to support sales of her book “Just Shine!”
• Justice Neil Gorsuch disclosed $300,361 in book royalties, primarily from HarperCollins, which recently published “Heroes of 1776: The Story of the Declaration of Independence,” a children's book he co-authored.

Academic Engagements and Other Reported Income

Several justices also reported earnings from teaching engagements:

• Justice Amy Coney Barrett and Justice Brett Kavanaugh each received $33,285 for their roles as adjunct professors at the University of Notre Dame Law School.
• Chief Justice John Roberts reported $25,000 from New England Law after teaching a two-week course in Galway, Ireland.
• Justice Clarence Thomas disclosed $18,000 in teaching income from The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law.
• Justice Neil Gorsuch reported $30,380 for teaching at George Mason University.

Increased Scrutiny on Judicial Transparency

These financial disclosure reports have garnered heightened public attention in recent years. This increased scrutiny follows previous revelations regarding undisclosed luxury travel and certain real estate transactions involving some justices, which have prompted calls from legislative bodies and ethics advocacy groups for enhanced transparency and more stringent oversight within the Supreme Court.