Samuel Alito’s Son Landed Secret Job in Trump Administration

Philip Alito has been working in the Trump administration as his father refused to recuse himself in related cases before the Supreme Court.

The son of conservative Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito seems to have gotten a nice job in the Treasury Department.

Philip Alito has been working in the department’s office of the general counsel since early last year, NOTUS reports, raising questions of conflicts of interest as the court hears cases concerning the Treasury, including President Trump’s deal to avoid tax audits of himself and his family, as well as his $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund.”

Alito’s office provides legal and policy advice to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and his employment seems to have been deliberately kept secret. Alito doesn’t have a public résumé or a LinkedIn account, and he isn’t mentioned anywhere on the Treasury Department’s website. His three professional bar listings have incorrect information regarding his previous employers and appear to be out of date, according to NOTUS.

An unnamed former official said that when Alito was hired in early 2025, he didn’t have an exact role and seemed to have been hired because the Trump administration wanted loyal employees across the federal government.

“Everybody knew who he was. I think it’s fair to say he kept a pretty low profile. I kind of had the impression that he was kind of a little bit sheepish about his celebrity affiliation. You’d go into a meeting and if people were introducing themselves by first and last name, he’d just say ‘Phil,’ not Phil Alito. He’s a pretty soft-spoken guy,” the official told NOTUS.

Another former official told the publication that Alito became an attorney-adviser, briefed on important department matters and able to offer legal advice.

“There’s no doubt he got that position because of who he is,” this official said. “[Advisers] are in all the meetings, so they knew all the issues across the board.”

Alito was on the job when other important cases concerning his department, such as challenges to Trump’s emergency tariffs, went before the high court, and his father never recused himself. With Trump’s anti-weaponization fund and his IRS settlement blocking audits of his taxes facing legal challenges, that is almost certain to happen again.

A spokesperson told NOTUS that “Philip Alito is currently detailed from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia as a Counselor in the Office of the General Counsel, and his portfolio covers a broad range of topics. As a matter of both professional and personal judgment, Phil does not counsel on any matters reasonably expected before the Supreme Court. Like all attorneys in the Office of the General Counsel, Phil is in compliance with all applicable ethical obligations.”

However, the department didn’t answer NOTUS’s questions on when Alito started at the agency, what his specific duties were, or whether he filed an ethics disclosure form. It seems that in the Trump administration, questions of ethics are easily ignored.

People Punished Over Charlie Kirk Comments Win Millions—and Counting

Multiple people were fired or even arrested for criticizing Kirk after his death.

Employers and institutions have so far paid out a cumulative $2 million in legal settlements to people who were fired or penalized over their online reactions to Charlie Kirk’s death.

Kirk—a longtime right-wing activist who played a critical role in translating the MAGA agenda to America’s college-age youth—was assassinated in September. His death proved as polarizing as his life’s work: Millions of people reacted, some with shock and rage, and some with apparent glee.

An estimated 600 people were either penalized or let go from their places of employment, a punishment for their publicized opinions on the right-winger’s untimely demise.

The consequences were hailed by the Trump administration. In an honorary postmortem episode of Kirk’s podcast hosted by Vice President JD Vance, the number two Republican encouraged listeners to call the employers of anyone “celebrating Charlie’s murder.” Former Attorney General Pam Bondi likened the anti-Kirk posts to hate speech, and said at the time that the Justice Department would “absolutely target you, go after you, if you are targeting anyone with hate speech.”

Legal experts fretted that the governmental response had set a dangerous precedent. Yet the settlements have proven to be a major win for freedom of speech.

One of the largest settlement recipients was a retired Tennessee cop, Larry Bushart, who was jailed for more than a month after he posted a meme related to Kirk’s assassination. Bushart settled an “unlawful incarceration” lawsuit for $835,000 last week.

“I am pleased my First Amendment rights have been vindicated,” Bushart said in a statement last week. “The people’s freedom to participate in civil discourse is crucial to a healthy democracy.”

Biologist Brittney Brown settled last week with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for $485,000 after she was fired for similar causes, also involving a Kirk-related meme on her Instagram account. In a statement, Brown claimed that all she wanted was her job back.

Suzanne Swierc made a comment about Kirk on her private Facebook page. But a screenshot of her post, taken and shared by someone else, ultimately cost Swierc her job at Ball State University. The American Civil Liberties Union sued the college on Swierc’s behalf. They settled on Tuesday, with Ball State University agreeing to pay $225,000.

“Suzanne was speaking as a private citizen on a matter of public concern when Ball State fired her over a private social........

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