Alito rejects calls to recuse over flag furor
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito said he will not sit out the Jan. 6 Capitol riot cases
What happened
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito said Wednesday he won't sit out two cases involving the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, telling Democratic lawmakers demanding his recusal that his wife bore full responsibility for publicly displaying a pair of flags associated with the "Stop the Steal" movement that fueled the insurrection.
Who said what
"My wife is fond of flying flags, I am not," Alito said in a letter to the lawmakers. "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." His wife is a private citizen and "makes her own decisions, and I have always respected her right to do so," he added.
"Flying the American flag upside down at his home is a signal of defiance, which raises reasonable questions about bias and fairness in cases pending before the court," Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said, adding that Alito's refusal to recuse himself shows the Supreme Court needs ways to enforce the code of ethics it recently adopted. Donald Trump cheered Alito's decision, saying all judges "should have such GRIT."
What next?
Under the Constitution, the Justice Department "can petition the other seven justices to require" Alito to sit out the Jan. 6 cases "not as a matter of grace but as a matter of law," Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) argued in The New York Times.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
6 exquisite homes for skiersFeature Featuring a Scandinavian-style retreat in Southern California and a Utah abode with a designated ski room
-
Film reviews: ‘The Testament of Ann Lee,’ ’28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,’ and ‘Young Mothers’Feature A full-immersion portrait of the Shakers’ founder, a zombie virus brings out the best and worst in the human survivors, and pregnancy tests the resolve of four Belgian teenagers
-
Political cartoons for January 25Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include a hot economy, A.I. wisdom, and more
-
Trump sues JPMorgan for $5B over ‘debanking’Speed Read Trump accused the company of closing his accounts for political reasons
-
Minnesota roiled by arrests of child, church protestersSpeed Read A 5-year-old was among those arrested
-
Migrant death in ICE custody ruled homicideSpeed Read Geraldo Lunas Campos, 55, died of asphyxia, the coroner said
-
ICE memo OKs forcible entry without warrantSpeed Read The secret memo was signed last May
-
DOGE shared Social Security data, DOJ saysSpeed Read The Justice Department issued what it called ‘corrections’ on the matter
-
Halligan quits US attorney role amid court pressureSpeed Read Halligan’s position had already been considered vacant by at least one judge
-
DOJ subpoenas Minnesota Democrats in legal escalationSpeed Read Several officials, including Gov. Tim Walz, were subpoenaed
-
Trump ties Greenland threat to failed Nobel Peace bidSpeed Read ‘I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace,’ Trump said
