Newly released documents reveal that Justice Antonin Scalia played a decisive role in persuading the Supreme Court to hear a case involving then-Vice President Dick Cheney’s energy task force.

Originally, most justices had voted to reject Cheney's appeal to keep the task force’s politically sensitive records private, but Scalia repeatedly advocated for reconsideration, arguing the case raised fundamental separation-of-powers issues.

Three weeks after the Court agreed to hear the case, Scalia went on a long-planned duck hunting trip with Cheney, sparking a major ethics controversy and prompting the Sierra Club to formally request his recusal.Scalia refused, emphasizing that his impartiality could not reasonably be questioned and warning that recusal would harm the Court’s reputation.

The Supreme Court ultimately sided with Cheney in a 7-2 vote, shielding the Vice President and his aides from disclosing most of the task force’s records, despite criticism over potential conflicts of interest and the secretive case-selection process.These revelations highlight historical and ongoing debates about judicial ethics, executive power, and transparency in Supreme Court decision-making.