Justice Alito says had 'no involvement' in upside-down flag being flown outside of his home

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito says he was not involved in a U.S. flag being flown upside-down outside of his home after the 2020 presidential election.

Alito made the statement in response to a New York Times story posted Thursday that included a picture of the upside-down flag – a symbol used by some supporters of former President Donald Trump who challenged the legitimacy of Joe Biden’s 2020 victory, according to The New York Times. 

“I had no involvement whatsoever in the flying of the flag,” Alito said in an emailed statement to the newspaper. “It was briefly placed by Mrs. Alito in response to a neighbor’s use of objectionable and personally insulting language on yard signs.”

The Times in its story predicted "the revelation is almost certain to prompt calls for Alito, a member of the court’s conservative wing, to recuse himself from several high-profile cases pending before the court this year involving the election and subsequent attack on the US Capitol, including the blockbuster question of whether Trump may claim immunity from federal election subversion charges."

The flag was reportedly flown Jan. 17, 2021, outside of the justice’s home in Alexandria, Virginia.

The Supreme Court as of Friday afternoon did not appear to have responded to media requests for comment.