The liberal judicial activist group Demand Justice top-lined a letter sent to Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., on Wednesday demanding an ethics investigation into Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito.
Demand Justice, along with Accountable.US, the Center for American Progress, MoveOn, and the Revolving Door Project urged Durbin to force the recusal of Alito for any election-related cases after reports of politically charged flags being flown outside Alito's homes in Virginia and New Jersey.
"It is imperative as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee that you swiftly conduct investigations and make findings regarding (a) Justice Alito's recent conduct and, perhaps even more important for the public's long-term faith in the rule of law, (b) the handling of this matter by Chief Justice John Roberts," the letter read.
The flag controversy came after reports that an upside-down U.S. flag and an "Appeal to Heaven" flag were flown outside the homes of Alito on separate occasions. The flags were said to have been linked to those of Jan. 6 protesters.
Alito has rejected the calls to step down, saying his wife, Martha-Ann, was responsible for flying the flags in question and they had nothing to do with former President Donald Trump or the Jan 6 protests. The upside-down American flag is a sign of distress and the "Appeal to Heaven" flag dates to the Revolutionary War as a symbol of God triumphing over tyranny.
Durbin, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, responded to Alito's refusal to step aside by saying that it "clearly demonstrates why the Supreme Court needs an enforceable code of conduct."
"At the end of the day, the Chief Justice can end this spiraling decline in America's confidence in our highest Court by taking decisive action to establish a credible code of conduct. I will continue to pursue what the American people are demanding: accountability, transparency, and an enforceable code of conduct for Supreme Court justices," Durbin's statement read.
Earlier Thursday, Chief Justice John Roberts declined an invitation to discuss the flag controversy with Democrats senators.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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