House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (DN.Y.) asked Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito on Friday to apologize for “disrespecting” the American flag.
“Samuel Alito should immediately apologize for disrespecting the American flag and sympathizing with violent right-wing insurrectionists,” Jeffries said in a statement. declaration in a press release on Friday.
“He must recuse himself from cases involving the 2020 elections and [former President Trump,]” the New York Democrat continued in the statement. “Congress should immediately consider legislation that would impose a code of ethical conduct on a fugitive Supreme Court. The Constitution demands and the American people deserve better from a judge serving on the highest court in the land than a baseless election denial.”
Jeffries’ statement follows a Thursday report from The New York Times about an upside-down American flag that was flown at Alito’s home in Alexandria, Virginia, in January 2021. The upside-down American flag is a symbol connected to the “Stop the Steal” efforts that have based on inaccurate allegations of voter fraud.
Alito said his wife, Martha-Ann Alito, was responsible for the flag.
“I had no involvement in the raising of the flag,” Alito told the Times. “It was briefly put up by Ms. Alito in response to a neighbor’s use of objectionable and personally insulting language on yard signs.”
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) asked Alito to recuse himself from all cases related to January 6, 2021, and the 2020 election following news of the flag’s arrival.
“Flying an American flag upside down – a symbol of the so-called ‘Stop the Steal’ movement – clearly creates the appearance of prejudice,” Durbin said.
“Judge Alito should immediately recuse himself from cases related to the 2020 election and the January 6 insurrection, including the issue of the former president’s immunity in US v. Donald Trump, which the Supreme Court is currently considering,” he added.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
