In a revelation from New York Times reporter Jodi Kantor, it was unveiled that post the January 6th insurrection, the residence of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito displayed a prominent “stop the steal” symbol, an upside-down American flag which is recognized as a far-right symbol. Kantor’s reporting uncovered that the symbol was seen and recorded by Alito’s neighbors on January 17, 2021.
The flag’s display was distinctly peculiar as it was concurrent with a period where the court was still figuring out whether to hear a 2020 election case. Matters were complicated as Justice Alito was on the losing end of that decision. Further, the Justices will soon rule on two significant cases involving the storming of the Capitol on January 6 and Alito’s lack of impartiality does add a compelling element to these proceedings.
Alito has been criticized over his view of Supreme Court ethics, with many believing that Justice Alito is under the impression that he is not tied by the constraints of an ethical code. Requests for Alito to recuse himself to avoid the appearance of impropriety were not granted as well.
Claiming that he had no part in displaying the upside-down flag, Alito deflected the responsibility onto his wife, stating that she had hung the flag in response to a neighbor’s objectionable yard signs. This behavior was considered unexpected, spreading more light on Alito’s bold opinions on the subject.
The symbolism of an upside-down flag in the early part of 2021 had been unmistakably associated with support for Donald Trump, particularly after his election loss. Alito discarding the responsibility of the flag onto his wife stirred further debates on the matter, given that Martha-Ann Alito has been married to a federal judge for over 30 years and would understand the advisability of avoiding political displays at home.
This issue has brought several questions to the forefront including, is Alito daring someone to rein him in, or does he merely believe that there are no consequences for his controversial ethical behavior?
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