Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a prominent government watchdog organization, is insisting that U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito needs to resign from that post at the nation’s highest court.
In a description of their stance, the organization points to the media reports saying that flags associated with the so-called “Stop the Steal” movement were seen at Alito residences. The judge blamed one of the flags — an upside down American flag — on his wife. Both flags, also including an “Appeal to Heaven” flag, were also seen during the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol in early 2021 as members of Congress tried to move forward with certifying the then-recent 2020 presidential election results.
“Instead of taking accountability for his actions, Justice Alito has repeatedly deflected blame, failed to recuse from cases related to January 6th even after facts suggesting possible bias became public knowledge, and refused to acknowledge that his actions have contributed to the public’s faltering confidence in the Court,” CREW President Noah Bookbinder said in prepared remarks.
Alito was also one of the Supreme Court Justices recently named in articles of impeachment proposed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), though the prominent Congresswoman acknowledged in remarks in her legislative chamber that the current GOP majority in the House made it a tall order. She also named Clarence Thomas, alleging — like CREW — that both failed to recuse themselves, meaning step back, from proceedings where they should have done so.
Ocasio-Cortez’s push came soon after a widely panned ruling from the court (following an appeal from Donald Trump) saying that presidents hold some immunity — meaning protection from prosecution — for some actions taken while in office. It further delayed the underlying case against Trump, which accused him of conspiring to undercut the 2020 presidential election results. The ruling teed up new proceedings on whether certain conduct alleged of Trump is included in the court’s newly outlined protections.
