Senate Democrats Ask John Roberts To Meet 'As Soon As Possible' Over Samuel Alito Mess

WASHINGTON ― Top Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee on Friday told Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts they want to meet with him “as soon as possible” to ensure that Justice Samuel Alito recuses himself from cases relating to the 2020 election after two recent news reports revealed Alito flew flags at two separate residences that insurrectionists at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, had also carried.

“By displaying the upside-down and ‘Appeal to Heaven’ flags outside his homes, Justice Alito actively engaged in political activity, failed to avoid the appearance of impropriety, and failed to act in a manner that promotes public confidence in the impartiality of the judiciary,” Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) wrote to Roberts in a new letter.

“He also created reasonable doubt about his impartiality and his ability to fairly discharge his duties in cases related to the 2020 presidential election and January 6th attack on the Capitol,” they wrote. “His recusal in these matters is both necessary and required.”

(Durbin and Whitehouse are the committee chair and the chair of the subcommittee that deals with federal courts, respectively.)

The senators also renewed their call on the Supreme Court to adopt “an enforceable code of conduct for Supreme Court justices.”

The court currently has a code of ethics, which it adopted last year and only after intense public scrutiny, but it has no teeth. Still, under that code, which the justices themselves put together, they are required to avoid the appearance of impropriety.

Here’s a copy of the senators’ new letter:

Durbin and other Democrats have been demanding the Supreme Court adopt an enforceable code of ethics for years. But they