Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s husband, a high-profile attorney, has been revealed as the lead counsel for Fox Corporation in a notable defamation lawsuit, according to court documents reported by Rolling Stone. This connection emerges amid ongoing scrutiny of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, who has faced backlash for displaying flags linked to January 6 and Christian nationalism, a controversy he attributed to his wife’s actions.
The defamation lawsuit, initiated by Lavell Redmond—an Illinois man with a past conviction for aggravated sexual assault as a minor who served 24 years in prison—stems from his employment issues following media coverage. After his incarceration, Redmond was hired as a code enforcement officer by the mayor of Dolton in 2021.
Noting that Coney Barrett’s husband, Jesse Barrett, “is a partner at Southbank Legal,” Above the Law reported Wednesday, “That, in and of itself, isn’t a problem. The issue is she won’t disclose who her husband’s clients are.”
Jesse Barrett’s work for Fox Corporation highlights one of ethics experts’ biggest complaints about the Supreme Court: Justices are not required to disclose their spouses’ clients, so the public has no way to track who is paying money directly to their families. In her 2021 financial disclosure, Justice Barrett even redacted the name of her husband’s firm, despite it being common knowledge that he works there.
…Unless, of course, the case somehow winds up before the Supreme Court and Coney Barrett doesn’t recuse herself. Which, again, we have no way of knowing as long as Coney Barrett refuses to disclose the list of her husband’s clients.
However, his employment was jeopardized by reports from FOX 32, which, according to the complaint, wrongfully alleged he violated sex offender registry reporting requirements. These reports allegedly led to Redmond’s arrest and subsequent job termination.
The legal battle, which Redmond claims has caused him over $1 million in damages due to Fox’s reporting, was initially filed in Cook County, Illinois. Barrett’s intervention moved the case to federal court last month, highlighting his role in defending Fox Corporation against the accusations of defamation.
This legal representation by a Supreme Court justice’s spouse underscores the intricate connections between high-level judicial figures and significant media entities, raising questions about transparency and potential conflicts of interest within the highest echelons of U.S. judiciary and media.