Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito faces new calls from Democratic lawmakers to recuse himself from cases.
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito faces calls from Democratic lawmakers on Friday to recuse himself from cases after a New York Times report on Thursday said an upside-down American flag was seen flying in his yard days before President Joe Biden’s 2021 inauguration.
According to photos obtained by the NYT, the inverted flag was seen flying in Alito’s yard in Alexandria, Virginia, on January 17, 2021. Notably, the timing of these photos came days after former President Donald Trump’s supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., in protest of the 2020 election results.
In an emailed statement to the NYT, Alito said, « I had no involvement whatsoever in the flying of the flag, » adding, « It was briefly placed by Mrs. Alito in response to a neighbor’s use of objectionable and personally insulting language on yard signs. »
An upside-down American flag should not be flown unless « as a signal of dire distress in instance of extreme danger to life or property, » according to the Associated Press, which cited the U.S. Flag Code. Numerous Trump supporters have also displayed the inverted flag as a sign of protest.
Newsweek reached out to the Supreme Court via email for comment Friday afternoon.
On Friday, numerous Democratic lawmakers voiced their concerns with Alito’s role in impending Trump or January 6-related cases, including one deciding whether the former president has immunity for his actions related to the 2020 election.
