Politics
REUTERS/Larry Downing
U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts (L) stands with fellow Justices Anthony Kennedy (2nd from L), Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan (R) prior to President Barack Obama's State of the Union speech on Capitol Hill in Washington, January 28, 2014.
Last week, annual financial returns revealed the ways that justices make cash in addition to their $244,000 annual salary.
Of the justices, Antonin Scalia reeled in the most extra cash -Scalia's noninvestment income topped $60,000. According to filing forms, most of Scalia's extra income was a $33,000 royalty payment for several books that he's written.
Scalia also makes rent off of his Charlottesville, Virginia home.
As the Center for Public Integrity points out, when the court is not in session, many justices take on speaking engagements and adjunct teaching gigs at prestigious universities.
The returns also reveal substantial investments. Chief Justice John Roberts holds $500,000 in stocks of Microsoft, as well as $250,000 in Time Warner.
Supreme Court investments are a point of interest every year because they occasionally result in conflicts of interest.
As the National Law journal reports, in the last term, Justice Samuel Alito recused himself from a Coca-Cola case because he owned stock in the company. Several days before the case, Alito unrecused himself after selling off his stock.
The Associated Press reports that Justice Stephen Breyer sat out of a Cisco case because of the justice's $100,000 worth of Cisco stock.
Most of the money that the justices are bringing in each year comes from book royalties and small college speaking fees.
But the returns also reveal how the justices make little extra money on the side compared with other officials in different branches of government. Where many legislators can easily accumulate wealth as lobbyists or higher-ups in the private sector after leaving office, the lifetime appointments of justices keep their incomes relatively modest.