Staff Reports
A Democratic lawmaker in the House Judiciary Committee put forward a resolution to censure Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. for displaying an upside-down American flag at his home. Rep. Steve Cohen from Tennessee accused Justice Alito of breaking judicial rules by flying the flag upside down after the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. The resolution claims that Justice Alito committed misconduct by engaging in political activity, which goes against ethical guidelines. It argues that Justice Alito should be censured for violating the federal recusal statute and ethical standards, and for potentially demonstrating bias in cases related to his prior public conduct.
The resolution also calls for Justice Alito to recuse himself from any cases related to the 2020 election. Rep. Cohen criticized Justice Alito’s actions, stating that it showed political bias and a lack of judgment. He called for accountability to uphold the integrity and impartiality of the Supreme Court, insisting that Justice Alito should be censured for his breaches of the law and court rules, and should recuse himself from all 2020 election and Jan. 6th related litigation.
Democratic lawmaker moves to censure Justice Alito over upside-down American flag https://t.co/fx3UlgNd2U
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) May 21, 2024
This is not the first time Justice Alito has faced calls for recusal. Sen. Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, previously said that the justice should recuse himself from former President Trump’s case for immunity from criminal prosecution over his challenge to the 2020 election results. The New York Times reported that Justice Alito flew the American flag upside down at his house, which the newspaper linked to the “Stop the Steal” movement associated with former President Trump’s efforts to contest the 2020 election.
In response to the reports, Justice Alito stated that he had no involvement in flying the flag and explained that it was briefly placed by his wife in response to a neighbor’s offensive yard signs. Concerns about Justice Alito’s impartiality in cases related to the Jan. 6 riot were raised by the report, as the high court is considering important disputes regarding the 2020 election and the obstruction charge facing hundreds of Jan. 6 defendants, including Mr. Trump. The spokesperson from the high court did not immediately comment on the matter.
