Justice Rejects Senate Dems’ Request to Address Supreme Court Ethics and Alito Flag

(ReliableNews.org) – Associate Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito is under fire for flags he displayed on his homes. Democratic senators called Chief Justice John Roberts to Capitol Hill to discuss Alito. Roberts has rejected the lawmakers’ demands.

On May 23, Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) wrote the chief justice and asked for a meeting. They also asked that Roberts ensure Alito recuses himself from any cases related to former President Donald Trump or the January 6 attack on the Capitol.

In the letter, the senators took issue with an upside-down American flag captured flying outside of Alito’s Virginia home the day before President Joe Biden’s inauguration in 2021. They also pointed to reports there was an “Appeal to Heaven” flag flying outside of the associate justice’s vacation home in New Jersey. Both flags have been linked to the January 6 attack and supporters of former President Donald Trump who believe the 2020 election was stolen.

Alito refused to recuse himself from the cases in a separate letter to Democrats. He claimed that his wife, Martha-Ann Alito, was responsible for flying the flags and others. Roberts also responded to the lawmakers and refused to meet with them. The chief justice cited the separation of powers and said it would be inappropriate to meet with senators of just “one party who have expressed an interest in matters currently pending before the court.”

Senator Whitehouse issued a statement saying it was “frustrating” that the chief justice refused to address the portion of their letter that addressed his position as the chair of the Judicial Conference. “Close reading of text is an attribute of a good judge,” the Democrat stated.

Whitehouse went on to say that the Judicial Conference was founded by Congress and is responsible for enforcing the laws passed by Congress. He said the separation of powers argument isn’t extended to the Conference because it’s under the purview of the legislative branch and “Congress has an appropriate and well-established role in oversight of the judiciary.”