The justice has come under renewed scrutiny after The New York Times reported an upside-down flag and a flag often used by religious conservatives flew outside two of his homes.
Topline
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito declined to recuse himself from cases related to the 2020 election and Jan. 6 on Wednesday after he came under fire several times following reports by The New York Times an upside-down flag and an “Appeal To Heaven” flag flew outside his houses—the latest in a string of controversies the conservative justice has faced, which have accelerated in recent years.TimelineWhat To Watch For
The Supreme Court will soon rule on two cases related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election, taking up former President Donald Trump’s motion to dismiss the federal charges against him for trying to overturn the election and criminal charges brought against a Jan. 6 rioter. Ethics experts had pushed for Alito to recuse from those cases in light of the flag’s symbolism, though his letter Wednesday confirms widespread suspicion he would reject those requests. “I think it would be better for the court if he weren’t involved in cases arising from the 2020 election,” former federal judge and Berkeley Judicial Institute director Jeremy Fogel told the Times prior to Alito’s letter. “But I’m pretty certain that he will see that differently.”Chief Critic
Alito has strongly opposed the ethics controversies involving him that have recently sprung up. He told the Times that he “had no involvement whatsoever in the flying of the flag,” claiming “it was briefly placed by Mrs.
