Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito told Congress Wednesday that he will *not* recuse himself from cases related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
Why would he?: The New York Times reported that two “Stop the Steal”-related flags were flown outside his homes. The first incident was an inverted American flag seen less than two weeks after a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol. The second flag was a Revolutionary War symbol calling for a Biblical-centered government. It was spotted outside Alito’s vacation home in 2023.
Read more on ‘escalating conflict,’ via The New York Times: ‘The Alitos, the Neighborhood Clash and the Upside-Down Flag’
How Alito addressed the controversy: Nearly two weeks after the initial New York Times report, Alito wrote a pair of letters to lawmakers, arguing that he had nothing to do with either flag.
Excerpt: “I had nothing whatsoever to do with the flying of that flag. I was not even aware of the upside-down flag until it was called to my attention. As soon as I saw it, I asked my wife to take it down, but for several days, she refused. My wife and I own our Virginia home jointly. She therefore has the legal right to use the property as she sees fit, and there were no additional steps that I could have taken to have the flag taken down more promptly.”
Another excerpt — big flag fan. HUGE flag fan: “My wife is fond of flying flags. I am not. My wife was solely responsible for having flagpoles put up at our residence and our vacation home and has flown a wide variety of flags over the years.”
🔎 Read Alito’s full letters to Congress
If you’re having déjà vu: Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas also recently refused to recuse himself despite his wife’s outspoken support for Trump’s false claims of a stolen election.
