Staff Reports
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, said that investigations into Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. and alleged ethics violations will have to wait until the Democrats take control of the House. She mentioned that the House Oversight Committee had preliminary reports indicating that Justice Alito received private jet tickets and seats and referenced a public report from last year about Justice Alito accepting an invitation on a private plane to a fishing trip in Alaska years ago.
A Democrat from Tennessee, Rep. Steve Cohen, introduced a resolution to censure Justice Alito over the display of an upside-down U.S. flag outside his Virginia house in 2021. Fellow Democrats have called for Justice Alito to recuse from cases currently pending before the high court and for him to be censured after the report about the upside-down flag.
Justice Samuel Alito could face congressional probe if Democrats take over, AOC warnshttps://t.co/bAuxVZuTge pic.twitter.com/av4syyKDip
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) May 22, 2024
Justice Alito denied being responsible for the flag and stated that it was briefly placed by Mrs. Alito in response to a neighbor’s use of objectionable language on yard signs. There have been calls for Justice Alito to recuse from cases related to the 2020 election, and the high court is currently weighing two major disputes this term related to former President Trump and the 2020 election results.
Ethical concerns surrounding some of the justices have been raised in recent reports and publications. Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Alito have been targeted by ProPublica, with reports suggesting they received luxury trips and gifts without reporting them. Justice Alito has denied any wrongdoing and published an op-ed rebutting accusations of ethics violations. He stated that he was not required to be recused from legal battles involving a party connected with a billionaire hedge-fund manager and that the financial reporting requirements at the time did not require the disclosure of certain events as “reportable gifts.”
The opinions on the disputes related to former President Trump and the 2020 election results are expected to come by the end of June. These cases and ethical concerns surrounding justices have drawn attention and led to calls for investigations and recusals.
