Chief Justice John Roberts declined to meet with Democratic senators regarding Supreme Court ethics issues following reports of controversial flags flown at Justice Samuel Alito’s homes. In a letter to Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, Roberts cited concerns about maintaining judicial independence. This refusal was expected, as he had previously declined to attend a hearing on the ethics issue for similar reasons. Whitehouse expressed frustration on social media, emphasizing the need for a Supreme Court that upholds the rule of law.
Roberts was urged by the senators to address the Supreme Court’s ethics crisis and adopt an enforceable code of conduct for justices. Alito, in response, declined to recuse himself from cases involving Trump or Jan. 6, stating that the criteria for recusal were not met. The controversy stemmed from flags flown by Alito’s wife at their home in Virginia and vacation property in New Jersey. The court later implemented a new ethics code in November, though criticism remains due to justices having the final say on its application.
