Senator Durbin urges Justice Alito to recuse himself from Jan. 6 cases

Senator Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, is urging Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito to recuse himself from any cases related to the 2020 presidential election and the events of January 6, 2021. This follows a report by the New York Times which showed an American flag hung upside down at Alito’s Virginia home after the January 6 protests, as reported by The Hill.

“Flying an upside-down American flag — a symbol associated with the ‘Stop the Steal’ movement — raises concerns of bias,” stated Durbin, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee.

“Justice Alito should immediately step down from cases involving the 2020 election and the January 6th insurrection, including the matter of former President’s immunity in U.S. v. Donald Trump, currently under consideration by the Supreme Court,” he added.

Durbin emphasized the need for the Supreme Court, particularly Justice Alito, to take steps to regain public trust in light of this ethical dilemma. He also called for the creation of a code of conduct for justices through legislation passed by Congress.

“Supreme Court justices should uphold the highest ethical standards,” Durbin asserted.

In response, Alito stated to the Times that he had “no involvement whatsoever in the hanging of the flag.”

“It was briefly displayed by Mrs. Alito in reaction to offensive language on yard signs from a neighbor,” he explained.

Hanging the flag upside down is often used as a form of political protest.

The Supreme Court is expected to make decisions in the near future on several cases related to the 2020/21 period, including issues like presidential immunity and obstruction laws in relation to the events of January 6.