US Supreme Court
Upside down USA flag in the garden: Chief Justice Alito under pressure
One of the arch-conservative justices on the US Supreme Court: Samuel Alito
© Jacquelyn Martin / Action Press
The Supreme Court’s series of scandals continues. This time in focus: the arch-conservative Judge Samuel Alito and an upside-down flag in his front yard. This is considered a symbol of the “stolen election victory”.
The aftermath of the 2020 presidential election is shaping the United States to date. What began as a protest by the camp surrounding election loser Donald Trump quickly developed into a conspiracy cult, according to which the election victory was stolen. During this time, a well-known protest symbol appeared on cars, in front yards and on social media: an upside-down USA flag. It stood for the message “Stop the Steal.” Anyone who wore the flag upside down did not believe in the legitimate election victory of US President Joe Biden.
As the New York Times has now revealed, one of the houses in front of which the upside down flag was flying at the time belonged to none other than Samuel Alito, Justice of the Supreme Court, the US Constitutional Court.
A photo shows an upside down flag in front of Supreme Court Justice Alito’s home on January 17, 2021
© New York Times
In photos that alarmed neighbors leaked to the newspaper, the upside-down flag can be seen flying in the arch-conservative judge’s garden in Alexandria, Virginia on January 17, 2021. Eleven days earlier, Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol. Some of them with that same flag in their hands. Biden’s inauguration was still three days away at the time.
Supreme Court Justice Alito: “Was not involved in raising the flag”
The revelations put Judge Alito under heavy pressure. The timing is piquant. This year, several high-profile cases will be heard before the Supreme Court in Washington that deal with the 2020 election and the subsequent attack on the Capitol. This also includes the eagerly awaited decision as to whether Trump, as a former president, still enjoys immunity.
The judges’ vote will determine whether the ex-president can be held accountable for attempting to overturn the recent presidential election. A possible trial could take place as Trump campaigns for the White House again this year.
“I was in no way involved in raising the flag,” Alito told the New York Times. Rather, the flag was temporarily installed by his wife – “in response to offensive and personally offensive language on garden signs” from a neighbor.
Clear violation of the court’s code of ethics
According to legal experts, the flag is a clear violation of the Supreme Court’s code of ethics. The Supreme Court has repeatedly warned its employees against expressing their partisan political views in public. This emerges from the internal guidelines, which are also available to the “New York Times”. Accordingly, among other things, displaying signs or car stickers is prohibited.
As of Friday, the Supreme Court did not want to comment on the current case of the upside down flag.
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The Supreme Court has moved significantly to the right under Trump’s presidency with several ultra-conservative judicial nominations. It tries not to appear partisan. The allegations against Alito are very inconvenient. And they are not the first of their kind.
Just a few months ago, Justice Clarence Thomas, also a conservative, made similar headlines. It was revealed at the time that his wife, conservative activist Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, had attended Trump’s rally before the storming of the Capitol. She also supported his campaign to make the election results appear fraudulent. At the time, calls quickly grew to remove the judge from cases surrounding the 2020 election. It should therefore only be a matter of time before these demands reach Judge Alito.
Sources: “New York Times“, “CNN“, “Reuters“