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The Washington Post Initially Passed on Alito Flag Story

Staff Writer

When the Washington Post first received a tip about a flag at Justice Samuel Alito's home, they decided to pass on the story. Now, in light of recent events and heightened political stakes, the decision is being revisited with new scrutiny.

The Washington Post revealed on Saturday that it initially passed on the Samuel Alito flag story in 2021 after its former Supreme Court reporter had a confrontation with the justice's wife.


"The Post decided not to report on the episode at the time because the flag-raising appeared to be the work of Martha-Ann Alito, rather than the justice, and connected to a dispute with her neighbors," the Washington Post report stated, citing a spokesperson for the paper. "It was not clear then that the argument was rooted in politics."


In 2021, Washington Post Supreme Court reporter Robert Barnes visited the Alitos' home after receiving a tip about the flag. Martha-Ann Alito reportedly shouted, "It’s an international signal of distress," when questioned by Barnes. Alito had previously told Fox News that his wife hung the flag in response to insults from a neighbor.


Cameron Barr, the former senior managing editor, took responsibility for not running the story at the time. "I agreed with [Supreme Court reporter] Bob Barnes and others that we should not do a single-slice story about the flag because it seemed like the story was about Martha-Ann Alito and not her husband," Barr told Semafor. Semafor referred to the decision as "cautious and deferential, and very pre-Dobbs," suggesting it means more now after the Supreme Court's conservative majority overturned Roe v. Wade.


"Now, it's hard to imagine," the outlet wrote. Members of the media and prominent Democratic lawmakers are calling on Alito to recuse himself from all cases before the court related to Donald Trump. Conservatives argue that the story is much ado about nothing and part of a wider effort to delegitimize the Supreme Court.


"In retrospect, I should have pushed harder for that story," Barr told Semafor. Martha-Ann Alito reportedly told the Washington Post reporter to ask their neighbors what they did and then ordered the reporter off their property.


Additionally, an "Appeal to Heaven" flag, another symbol carried by Trump supporters, was seen flying at a beach home owned by Alito in New Jersey, the New York Times reported. The flag, also known as the Pine Tree flag, dates back to the Revolutionary War.

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