Bessent Defends Justice Alito’s Son Working For Trump’s Treasury Department

BreakingBusinessBessent Defends Justice Alito’s Son Working For Trump’s Treasury DepartmentByAlison Durkee,Forbes Staff. Alison is a senior news reporter covering US politics and legal news.Follow AuthorMay 28, 2026, 04:10pm EDTToplineSupreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s son works at the Treasury Department as an attorney, NOTUS reported Thursday, raising new ethical concerns as the justice is asked to weigh in on the Trump administration’s policies—though Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent claimed Thursday the Treasury Department is doing everything above board.Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito faces new ethical scrutiny amid reports his son is working in Trump's Treasury Department.Getty ImagesKey FactsSamuel Alito’s son Philip Alito is an attorney at the Treasury Department’s Office of General Counsel, NOTUS reports, and has worked there since the early days of the second Trump administration.His job involves advising Bessent on policy and legal matters, NOTUS reported, with a spokesperson for the Treasury Department confirming to NOTUS that Philip Alito’s “portfolio covers a broad range of topics.”The Treasury Department said Philip Alito was in compliance with ethics rules and told NOTUS, “As a matter of both professional and personal judgment, Phil does not counsel on any matters reasonably expected before the Supreme Court.”Bessent was asked about Philip Alito’s employment during a press conference Thursday, and while he did not comment substantially on the justice’s son’s work, Bessent said the Treasury Department “follow[s] all legal and ethical guidelines” and he assumes Justice Alito does the same.The news of the younger Alito’s work comes as the Supreme Court has increasingly been asked to weigh in on major disputes based on Trump administration policy, which at times has involved the Treasury Department.Most notably, the Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff policy in February—but Supreme Court spokesperson Patricia McCa...