(StraightNews.org) – House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has called on Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito to recuse himself from any cases involving the January 6 riots on Capitol Hill. At a press conference in Washington, DC, Jeffries said the Judge should “have no part” in legal cases related to the riots because of reports that conservative flags were positioned outside his home.
Flags flown in the nation’s capital on January 6 were reportedly spotted outside Alito’s vacation house in New Jersey, including “Appeal to Heaven” and “Stop the Steal” banners. The “Appeal to Heaven” flag dates back to the Revolutionary War and was flown on ships commanded by George Washington. It was also the Massachusetts’ maritime flag until 1971. Political symbolism experts say its modern interpretation urges a return to the America of the Founding Fathers.
House Speaker Mike Johnson displays the flag outside his congressional office and defends it as “an important part of American history.” Mr. Johnson responded to suggestions that the flag is inappropriate in the modern US, saying no country should cover up its past or turn away from “things that are so essential to who we are as a country.”
Nevertheless, Mr. Jeffries is not alone in condemning Justice Alito for displaying the banner. New York “Squad” member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has demanded an investigation, and Senate judiciary chair Dick Durbin encouraged Alito to step away from certain cases. He also called on Chief Justice John Roberts to establish a code of conduct for sitting Supreme Court Justices. Mr. Durbin said the Supreme Court’s reputation is at risk and is already in the midst of an “ethical crisis.”
Katherine Clark, the Democrat whip in the House of Representatives, said Alito was “supporting insurrection” by displaying the controversial symbol. She claimed the display amounted to a serious ethics breach and insisted that Justice Alito recuse himself from any legal matter connected to former President Donald Trump.
The Supreme Court is currently deliberating on whether Mr. Trump enjoys Presidential prosecution immunity.
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