House Democrats call on Justice Alito to recuse after flag controversy

Nearly 50 House Democrats called on Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. to recuse himself from Jan. 6-related cases Tuesday, questioning whether the jurist could be impartial after an upside-down flag flew at his home in the weeks after the U.S. Capitol attack in 2021.

Rep. Hank Johnson (Ga.), the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, and 44 other lawmakers signed a letter to Alito noting that the upside-down flag — long used as a sign of distress, especially by the U.S. military — has become a symbol of the “Stop the Steal” movement that falsely claims the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump.