- A conservative German princess hosted Associate Justice Samuel Alito Jr. and his wife at her castle.
- A New York Times report revealed that the princess called the pair her "friends" and Alito a "hero."
- This is the latest instance of SCOTUS justices disclosing lavish gifts.
Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito Jr. and his wife were guests of conservative German Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis' castle last year, who lavished them with a luxurious castle stay, according to The New York Times.
According to The Times report, the princess hosted Alito and his wife Martha-Ann in July 2023 at her 500-room castle, St. Emmeram Palace, in southeastern Germany.
When she hosted them, the trio attended the opening of the Bayreuth Festival, a music festival celebrating the compositions of 19th-century composer Richard Wagner, per The Times.
In a text exchange with The Times on Monday, she called the couple her "friends" and said that the justice was a "hero."
"He is pro-life in a time where the majority follows the culture of death," the princess said of Alito.
The princess' conversation with The Times comes shortly after a financial disclosure filed by Alito in August noted that he had received a $900 gift of concert tickets from her.
This is the latest instance of SCOTUS justices reporting that they had accepted gifts from significant figures.
An April 2023 ProPublica report criticized Justice Clarence Thomas for revealing that he had received sizable gifts from billionaire GOP donor Harlan Crow, who's been known to champion Republican causes and legislators.
Crow also paid for private school tuition for a young relative Thomas was raising and treated Thomas and his wife to vacations on his luxury yacht, both of which the SCOTUS judge initially failed to disclose.
In his 2023 disclosure, Thomas amended his disclosures from 2019 to reflect the luxury trips he received from Crow. Thomas has denied any conflict of interest, and Crow has said that the justice is simply a friend.
The luxe nature of the gifts and trips Thomas has been on prompted comedian John Oliver in February to offer the justice a million dollars a year if Thomas agreed to quit the Supreme Court immediately. Oliver made this offer during a segment where he accused Thomas of having various conflicts of interest.
And in July, Thomas was accused by two Democratic senators of accepting a yacht trip to Russia and a chopper ride to Vladimir Putin's hometown.
Stricter ethics rules were adopted in March 2023, requiring Supreme Court justices to disclose any gifts, trips, or meals they may have accepted.
A representative for Alito didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, sent outside business hours.