Billionaires Know Just How They Want Supreme Court Justices to Rule—and Are Spending Big to Tell Them

The Supreme Court’s June ruling in *Diamond Alternative Energy v. EPA* granted fossil fuel companies expanded access to sue the government over regulations, a decision critics argue favors corporate interests. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson criticized the ruling in her dissent, noting it creates a legal disparity where industry-backed plaintiffs gain privileges denied to ordinary citizens. The case was overshadowed by other major rulings but attracted intense lobbying from fossil fuel groups, the Chamber of Commerce, and ideological allies. They filed 13 amicus curiae briefs urging the court to accept the case, then returned with additional briefs pushing for a favorable outcome. The influx of amicus briefs—now exceeding 800 per term—has surged eightfold since the 1950s, coinciding with a 35% reduction in the court’s overall docket. Research by True North Research found that conservative billionaires and funding networks spent $1.3 billion on amicus briefs in 25 major cases since 2022. These funds supported 111 groups that filed 626 briefs, though the total spending may be higher due to dark money and unreported contributions. The data suggests a coordinated effort to influence Supreme Court decisions, with justices increasingly citing these briefs and sometimes adopting their language without attribution. The trend highlights a broader distortion in American law, where wealthy donors and industries shape judicial outcomes through financial influence. While amicus briefs are traditionally supplementary, their growing volume and impact raise concerns about fairness and transparency in the legal system.