Justice Alito refuses call to recuse, says flags were flown by his wife

Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. rejected calls to recuse himself from cases related to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol protest.

In a letter to Congress on Wednesday, he said the flying of an upside-down American flag and “An Appeal to Heaven” pennant at his homes were his wife’s decisions and that he’s not biased in any dispute.

“My wife is fond of flying flags. I am not. My wife was solely responsible for having flagpoles put up at our residence and our vacation home and has flown a wide variety of flags over the years,” he said in his letter to the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Chairman Richard J. Durbin.