Saturday's report raises many questions, several relating to the fact that the Post, at least passively, made the decision not to reveal this news many times since 2021.
Apparently, Judge Alito has another home in New Jersey and was flying a flag with the logo: "Appeal to Heaven" which was another flag used by rioters on Jan 6. I believe The New York Times may have broke that story. Apparently Alito enjoys displaying Stop the Steal flags regardless of where he's residing.
If Alito wonโt resign from the Court, I sincerely hope his neighbors will torment them constantly. Martha Ann sounds like a loose cannon ready to blow up. The neighbors should assist.
I think as a country we'll be ok regardless. Most of our systems are solid and our citizens by and large a good and peaceful loving people. Our Constitution is the oldest in history (by far). It might actually be time to tear that thing up and start anew and Trump might be the precipitate we need because it won't happen if Biden is re-elected.
The last Trump administration showed us all how NOT solid our systems are as he destroyed precedents and mores left and right. Muslim ban? Ripping children from their parents and storing them in warehouses? It was a nightmare. No thank you.
This article was genuinely crazy to read. Itโs written as though the Washington Post is itself some third party relative to the reporters writing the story, and as you note their explanation for not publishing originally makes absolutely no sense.
Do you have a guess as to why they actually didnโt publish it at the time?
It's always difficult for reporters to report on themselves, so, it's always going to come across as a bit stilted, but, yeah, even for that, this is stilted and feels like it leaves a lot out.
My guess is that it seemed like a nothing burger. And really, itโs not much of a crime: โunhinged DC housewife yells at neighborsโ is maybe not news. But when Ginny Thomasโs involvement in literally funding the buses for 1/6 traitorsโฆ? Now you have a story. That story connects to SCOTUS active cases. I get how it seemed like trivia the day it happened but what on earth would cause them to apparently forget about these facts given the developments around the insurrection? And the cases?
My suspicion is that the media did not want anyone to know that normal people supported the January 6 protests (versus the criminal actions of some idiots)
I think it's important to note the timing. We are talking about Jan 2021. We had just come up with a Covid vaccine, people were dying by the thousands and lots were still staying at home. The Dobbs decision reversing Roe v Wade came down in June 2022 and ProPublica's revelation of Clarence Thomas' lavish trips at Harlan Crowe's expense were not revealed until April 2023. That's when the issue of Supreme Court ethics started becoming more and more of an issue. That being said, I do think WaPo should definitely have reported on Alito's improper flag display. Perhaps people would have moved on Supreme Court ethics more quickly. It's really quite shocking that a Supreme Court Justice would lack such ethical awareness. The justices are supposed to appear neutral and try to be fair and impartial. Throwing up a "Stop the Steal" flag at your properties (his New Jersey and Virginia homes) is not giving off an air of impartiality. It shows a sympathy towards the rioters.
In my opinion, Alitoโs wife seems like a psychotic person (and he directed her to the car, very weird) and maybe they were trying to spare her, but that is not an acceptable reason for not reporting
The way I'm reading it is that the Post sat on it and the NYT didn't know until recently, but reported it once they did. I could, obviously, be misinterpreting it.
Thereโs another nuance here with regard to the Judicial Code of Conduct I havenโt seen addressed much. Forgive me Chris if you covered this, I know someone touched on it but I canโt recall where.
While this code of conduct isnโt mandated for Supreme Court justices - a fact I find appalling - Alito was previously an appeals court judge for the Third Circuit, where that code did apply. AND it applies to spouses with respect to some activity. I find it highly unlikely Martha-Ann Alito knows nothing about this. And her explanation about an international signal of distress makes me wonder what she hoped would happen? Was she expecting Seal Team 6 to drop in on her neighbors?
If Justice Alito wants to resign from the Court, he's free to express an opinion he likes.
The same way you're free to say whatever you like.
But I will point out to you that despite Alito and Thomas wanting free access to public spaces for gun owners, that does NOT include the Supreme Court itself.
If they feel so strongly about 2nd Amendment rights, they're free to take down the metal detectors at the Court.
The reasoning is specious. I don't care if it was a "neighborhood" dispute. The use of Stop the Steal imagery over the ALITO home matters. It should be reported.
Why is this being reported around a week after this story first came out? The Washington Post were quite sensitive to any delay in reporting when the Pentagon Papers were involved.
And I still want to know the timing regarding the NYT. Why is this suddenly coming out now? Will we learn when someone writes a book?
Mainstream media is faaaaaaaamous for this sort of thing. Look how long it took for any kind of media to report the truth about Vietnam. Decades later? This doesn't surprise me at all. I know mainstream media is corrupt, complicit, and not reporting on things that matter.
Really great summation of how 3very eventful yearsโ stories all fit together with the decision by the Post to withhold this info. Thank you! Exactly why I rely on lLawDork.
If I try to apologize for the Post I can't convince myselfโ
The Post is not really a unitary being with perfect self-knowledge, so exactly who knew what and decided what are interesting questions, but the Post's own vagueness on this point might lead us to assume the worst, or at least the silliest, possibilities.
I think there's a little bit of daylight between Ginni Thomas and Martha-Ann Alito insofar as Thomas is clearly and self-consciously a political actor and Alito doesn't have that reputation, so one might be (condescendingly!) inclined to take her less seriously. But what a striking decision to scold your neighbors that way, that week!
Thank you, Law dork. It is stories like this that add to the very pro MAGAt stories that the Post now runs that have me reading the WaPo less and less. This revelation pretty much decides for me.
Reminds me of the New York Times' revealing its domestic phone-tapping investigation and story to the WBush White House in January 2004, allegedly for a comment just before publication. The White House urged the NYT not to publish, which they obliged until after the votes, close though they were, got counted in November of that year.
Our elite "Liberal" media has failed us for a long time. It's long past time to rely on independent, reader supported enterprises like Law Dork. Thanks, Chris. Keep up the great work!
Autocracy Thrives in Darkness
New motto for the Post.
What the fuck else are they not telling us???
Apparently, Judge Alito has another home in New Jersey and was flying a flag with the logo: "Appeal to Heaven" which was another flag used by rioters on Jan 6. I believe The New York Times may have broke that story. Apparently Alito enjoys displaying Stop the Steal flags regardless of where he's residing.
Is he going to blame that one on the neighbors too?
Nope, but he will blame it on his wife.
Roger, do you really think it's a good idea to get drunk before you post?
Yep.
The truth!
If Alito wonโt resign from the Court, I sincerely hope his neighbors will torment them constantly. Martha Ann sounds like a loose cannon ready to blow up. The neighbors should assist.
๐คฌ๐คฌ๐คฌ
Democracy Dies in Darkness is clearly not a warning but rather a mission statement.
I fear there are still too many (who would be) on our side who fail to understand the gravity of what's happening in this country.
I think as a country we'll be ok regardless. Most of our systems are solid and our citizens by and large a good and peaceful loving people. Our Constitution is the oldest in history (by far). It might actually be time to tear that thing up and start anew and Trump might be the precipitate we need because it won't happen if Biden is re-elected.
BULL SHIT
Our systems are solid?
No, our systems require us to ensure they are solid
Trump has many bootlickers ready to tear down our systems
And he is NOT the precipitant we need, if you really think that you are very naive
Troll
The last Trump administration showed us all how NOT solid our systems are as he destroyed precedents and mores left and right. Muslim ban? Ripping children from their parents and storing them in warehouses? It was a nightmare. No thank you.
John Adams wrote about pretty much borrowing the Iroquoisโs ideas about a federalist society when building our constitution โฆBTW, look it up.
Oh, hellllllllll naw. And solid for WHO?
Thank you for reporting on this - we are living in very troubling times
This article was genuinely crazy to read. Itโs written as though the Washington Post is itself some third party relative to the reporters writing the story, and as you note their explanation for not publishing originally makes absolutely no sense.
Do you have a guess as to why they actually didnโt publish it at the time?
It's always difficult for reporters to report on themselves, so, it's always going to come across as a bit stilted, but, yeah, even for that, this is stilted and feels like it leaves a lot out.
And, no, I do not.
My guess is that it seemed like a nothing burger. And really, itโs not much of a crime: โunhinged DC housewife yells at neighborsโ is maybe not news. But when Ginny Thomasโs involvement in literally funding the buses for 1/6 traitorsโฆ? Now you have a story. That story connects to SCOTUS active cases. I get how it seemed like trivia the day it happened but what on earth would cause them to apparently forget about these facts given the developments around the insurrection? And the cases?
One more point.
How many stories has the WaPo done on Biden's dogs biting people?
Now tell me which topic is more trivial.
Money
Money
It wasn't trivial then.
Ask yourself if Ben Bradlee would have reported that story.
Then ask yourself why Marty Baron did not.
And then retired a month later.
Money
My suspicion is that the media did not want anyone to know that normal people supported the January 6 protests (versus the criminal actions of some idiots)
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/03/ginni-thomas-attended-stop-the-steal-rally
And Roger?
You might not want to post random nutjob comments. No one is saying that "Ginny Thomas" was funding "busses" for Nancy Pelosi.
Which by the way would also be an ethical violation.
I think it's important to note the timing. We are talking about Jan 2021. We had just come up with a Covid vaccine, people were dying by the thousands and lots were still staying at home. The Dobbs decision reversing Roe v Wade came down in June 2022 and ProPublica's revelation of Clarence Thomas' lavish trips at Harlan Crowe's expense were not revealed until April 2023. That's when the issue of Supreme Court ethics started becoming more and more of an issue. That being said, I do think WaPo should definitely have reported on Alito's improper flag display. Perhaps people would have moved on Supreme Court ethics more quickly. It's really quite shocking that a Supreme Court Justice would lack such ethical awareness. The justices are supposed to appear neutral and try to be fair and impartial. Throwing up a "Stop the Steal" flag at your properties (his New Jersey and Virginia homes) is not giving off an air of impartiality. It shows a sympathy towards the rioters.
This encounter on the Alitos' driveway happened in January 2021 โ days after the insurrection of January 6, 2021. THAT is the relevant context!
Roger, yeah, right. Or maybe those were tourists, armed and planning to execute the VP. You really ought to watch more than the Faux news.
In my opinion, Alitoโs wife seems like a psychotic person (and he directed her to the car, very weird) and maybe they were trying to spare her, but that is not an acceptable reason for not reporting
3 years 2 of the supposed
top mainstream news
organizations failed to report
on this. What else are they
withholding?
The way I'm reading it is that the Post sat on it and the NYT didn't know until recently, but reported it once they did. I could, obviously, be misinterpreting it.
That is my understanding as well.
Think about the Santos story.
The NYT sat on that until after he was elected.
I would not bet that the NYT didn't have the Alito story in January 2021.
I had that same thought!
ALL LAME-STREAM MEDIA IS CORRUPT.
As someone who studied journalism, this is chilling.
Thereโs another nuance here with regard to the Judicial Code of Conduct I havenโt seen addressed much. Forgive me Chris if you covered this, I know someone touched on it but I canโt recall where.
While this code of conduct isnโt mandated for Supreme Court justices - a fact I find appalling - Alito was previously an appeals court judge for the Third Circuit, where that code did apply. AND it applies to spouses with respect to some activity. I find it highly unlikely Martha-Ann Alito knows nothing about this. And her explanation about an international signal of distress makes me wonder what she hoped would happen? Was she expecting Seal Team 6 to drop in on her neighbors?
Roger, seriously?
If Justice Alito wants to resign from the Court, he's free to express an opinion he likes.
The same way you're free to say whatever you like.
But I will point out to you that despite Alito and Thomas wanting free access to public spaces for gun owners, that does NOT include the Supreme Court itself.
If they feel so strongly about 2nd Amendment rights, they're free to take down the metal detectors at the Court.
Donโt be an idiotโฆ Youโre showing your colors your true colors
This is aggravating.
The reasoning is specious. I don't care if it was a "neighborhood" dispute. The use of Stop the Steal imagery over the ALITO home matters. It should be reported.
Why is this being reported around a week after this story first came out? The Washington Post were quite sensitive to any delay in reporting when the Pentagon Papers were involved.
And I still want to know the timing regarding the NYT. Why is this suddenly coming out now? Will we learn when someone writes a book?
Mainstream media is faaaaaaaamous for this sort of thing. Look how long it took for any kind of media to report the truth about Vietnam. Decades later? This doesn't surprise me at all. I know mainstream media is corrupt, complicit, and not reporting on things that matter.
When did you stop beating your wife?
Exasperating. Frustrating. WTF with both papers being so slow to report the pro insurrection choices of the Alitos?
Really great summation of how 3very eventful yearsโ stories all fit together with the decision by the Post to withhold this info. Thank you! Exactly why I rely on lLawDork.
Thatโs it for me and the WAPO. I already chucked the NYT.
If I try to apologize for the Post I can't convince myselfโ
The Post is not really a unitary being with perfect self-knowledge, so exactly who knew what and decided what are interesting questions, but the Post's own vagueness on this point might lead us to assume the worst, or at least the silliest, possibilities.
I think there's a little bit of daylight between Ginni Thomas and Martha-Ann Alito insofar as Thomas is clearly and self-consciously a political actor and Alito doesn't have that reputation, so one might be (condescendingly!) inclined to take her less seriously. But what a striking decision to scold your neighbors that way, that week!
Thank you, Law dork. It is stories like this that add to the very pro MAGAt stories that the Post now runs that have me reading the WaPo less and less. This revelation pretty much decides for me.
Reminds me of the New York Times' revealing its domestic phone-tapping investigation and story to the WBush White House in January 2004, allegedly for a comment just before publication. The White House urged the NYT not to publish, which they obliged until after the votes, close though they were, got counted in November of that year.
Our elite "Liberal" media has failed us for a long time. It's long past time to rely on independent, reader supported enterprises like Law Dork. Thanks, Chris. Keep up the great work!