Conservative U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in a secret recording made public on Monday by a liberal activist can be heard agreeing with the sentiment that the U.S. should return “to a place of godliness.”
Reuters could not independently verify the authenticity of the recording that activist Lauren Windsor posted on social media and provided to the media outlet Rolling Stone.
A spokesperson for the Supreme Court declined to comment. A Rolling Stone spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
In response to questions from Reuters, Windsor said in an email that she attended the June 3 Supreme Court Historical Society’s annual dinner as a dues-paying member, posed as a conservative Christian and approached Alito and asked him about how the country could become less politically polarized before she turned to religion.
In the recording, she said: “I think that the solution really is like winning the moral argument. Like, people in this country who believe in God have got to keep fighting for that, to return our country to a place of godliness.”
A voice that sounded like Alito’s responded: “Well, I agree with you. I agree with you.”