In recent developments, two recordings have surfaced featuring Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and his wife Martha-Ann in separate conversations. The first recording, obtained by CNN, shows Martha-Ann expressing frustration about having to look at a Pride flag in her neighborhood and suggesting flying a Sacred Heart of Jesus flag as a response. In the second recording, obtained by various news outlets including The New York Times and Rolling Stone, Justice Alito is heard speaking negatively about media organizations such as ProPublica for their reporting on Supreme Court ethics.
The first recording was made during a black-tie event at the Supreme Court last week. Martha-Ann Alito expressed her displeasure with the Pride flag in her neighborhood and suggested flying a Sacred Heart of Jesus flag as a response. Her husband, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., advised against putting up a flag in response to the Pride flag.
The second recording was made during the same event and shows Justice Alito expressing his disdain for journalists who have written negatively about him or his wife in the past. He described ProPublica, a news organization that has reported on Supreme Court ethics, as getting a lot of money and having spent a fortune investigating justices like Clarence Thomas and himself. The reporting from ProPublica prompted the Supreme Court to issue a new code of conduct in November 2023.
It is important to note that these recordings were obtained without the consent of those involved, which raises ethical concerns. It is also worth noting that Justice Alito's comments about media organizations should be taken in context and not as an attack on journalism as a whole.
The recording with Martha-Ann Alito was shared online by Lauren Windsor, who describes herself as a documentary filmmaker and advocacy journalist. The recordings of Justice Alito were obtained by various news outlets including Rolling Stone, The New York Times, and CNN.
