Justice Samuel Alito
US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito said his withdrawal from a high-stakes climate change case involving the oil and gas industry was a “difficult judgment call” he made even after the court’s legal office said he didn’t have to disqualify himself.
In an interview Wednesday, Alito offered his first public explanation for a step that could prove pivotal as the court considers whether the city and county of Boulder, Colorado, can sue Exxon Mobil Corp. and Suncor Energy Inc. for the costs of coping with climate change. The court announcedBloomberg Terminal his recusal on Monday without any explanation.