Supreme Court Justice Received MILLIONS From Book Publication, Reports Claim

Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has pulled in nearly $3 million from her memoir, Lovely One, according to newly released financial disclosure forms.

The bulk of that comes from a massive $2 million book advance she received in 2024 from publishing giant Penguin Random House. That’s on top of the $893,750 she was paid the previous year — bringing her total from the publisher to just under $3 million in two years.

In addition to the payments, Penguin also covered her travel, lodging, and food expenses for a nationwide book tour promoting the memoir. Stops included San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, Miami, and Atlanta — all major markets where public appearances can have big influence and visibility.

Her memoir, released in September, is pitched as a personal journey, tracing her family’s rise from segregation-era struggles to her historic confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court.

But while the personal story may be inspiring, the money flowing into the Supreme Court from major publishing houses is raising eyebrows — and rightly so.

Jackson isn’t the only justice cashing in.

• Justice Sonia Sotomayor has earned $3.9 million from her book deals over the years — the highest of any sitting justice.
• Clarence Thomas has earned $1.5 million.
• Neil Gorsuch has raked in $1.4 million, and recently received another $250,000 from HarperCollins for a new book on government overreach.
• Amy Coney Barrett, who has her own book scheduled for release in September, received a $425,000 advance from Penguin back in 2021.

This kind of money being handed to Supreme Court justices by corporate publishers should raise questions. While it’s legal and publicly disclosed, it highlights the growing commercialization of the judiciary — with powerful institutions funneling large sums to figures who hold immense influence over national policy and law.

It’s especially notable that Penguin Random House, the same publisher involved with multiple justices, has its own corporate and political connections — ones that should be scrutinized, not ignored.

This isn’t just about book sales. It’s about the optic and ethical concerns of sitting Supreme Court justices being showered with millions of dollars while serving on the bench.

And when the same few publishers are writing all the checks, people have a right to ask:
Who’s influencing who?