The controversy surrounding Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito‘s alleged display of an upside-down American flag at his Virginia home in 2021 has reignited calls for stricter ethics rules and term limits for the nation’s highest court.
Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) joined the chorus of criticism, stating that Alito’s actions raise questions about his impartiality in cases related to the 2020 election and the January 6 insurrection.
Nadler’s comments came after The New York Times reported that the flag had flown outside Alito’s home for several days, which the justice did not deny when questioned by Fox News.
Nadler Demands Action on Supreme Court Ethics After Alito’s Flag Incident
Nadler, the ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee, emphasized that Alito’s behavior suggests a lack of accountability and a need for enforceable ethics rules and term limits. “None of them have clean hands,” Nadler said, referring to the Supreme Court justices. ”
We need to enforce a code of ethics. And we need term limits on the Supreme Court.” Nadler’s concerns echo those of other lawmakers, including Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who have called for Alito’s recusal from related cases and an apology for his actions.
Alito’s explanation for the flag – that it was briefly placed by his wife in response to a neighbor’s insulting language – has been met with skepticism. Judicial experts argue that his actions violate ethics rules and compromise his neutrality in cases related to the 2020 election and January 6 insurrection.
The controversy surrounding Alito and fellow Justice Clarence Thomas’s ethics has sparked renewed calls for a more defined ethics code for the Supreme Court. Lawmakers and experts alike are pushing for greater accountability and transparency in the nation’s highest court.
