Washington (dpa) – Gloria Princess of Thurn and Taxis gave US Supreme Court Judge Samuel Alito concert tickets worth several hundred dollars last year. Alito disclosed his finances for 2023 and listed concert tickets for the German princess worth 900 dollars (around 812 euros) as a “gift”. Gloria von Thurn and Taxis told the Bavarian media group that they were tickets for the Regensburg Castle Festival, of which she is the patron. However, she emphasized: “The tickets are cheaper, he will have appreciated it.” According to her, the Alitos are “private friends”.
Gloria Princess of Thurn and Taxis is a dazzling figure who is very polarizing. Her ultra-conservative views turn some people against her, while others applaud her. In the 1980s she made a name for herself with her punk hairstyles, then with her deeply conservative Catholicism. In the recent past she has been accused of being close to right-wing extremists and homophobic. The 64-year-old denies this in interviews.
Conservative Justice Alito, on the other hand, has made headlines in recent months because several controversial flags were raised in front of his estate. One of them was an upside-down US flag – a symbol among supporters of former President Donald Trump who believed there was fraud in the recent 2020 election. Alito blamed his wife for raising the controversial flags and rejected calls from critics to stay out of the court’s affairs with regard to Trump’s attempts to influence the election.
Supreme Court judges are appointed for life and make socially and politically groundbreaking decisions. They must disclose their finances annually.
Last year, reports of expensive gifts from a Texas real estate mogul to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas – including a luxury trip and trips in a private jet – sparked an ethics debate. The Supreme Court judges then agreed to a code of conduct, but its enforceability is questionable.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:240907-930-226010/1
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