(Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
By now, most people are clued in on the hubbub surrounding the upside-down American flag that was flown at the home of Supreme Court justice Samuel Alito. Flying a flag in that manner is a symbol of the “Stop the Steal” movement, that is, people who believe the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump. In January 2021 — just days after the attempted insurrection — that’s what flew at the Alitos’ house.
The SCOTUS justice turned around and blamed his wife for the flag, saying it was put up in response to a neighborhood tiff. “It was briefly placed by Mrs. Alito in response to a neighbor’s use of objectionable and personally insulting language on yard signs,” said Alito. Now one of the neighbors is speaking out.
Emily Baden lived with her mother on the same cul-de-sac as the Alitos in 2021 (her mother still lives there, but she’s moved across the country). Baden disagreed with Martha-Ann about politics, and she told The Guardian that’s when the threatening behavior started.
The two sides do not agree on much, but Baden, a staunch liberal, and Martha-Ann Alito, a staunch conservative, concur that they began exchanging words in late 2020, almost two months after Joe Biden’s election victory over Donald Trump. Soon after, according to Baden, the Alitos’ security detail began parking a car directly in front of her mother’s house – several houses down from its usual spots either directly in front of the Alitos or across the street from them.
“This happened a handful of times,” Baden now recalls. “I took that as directly threatening.”
And now that the story is back in the news, Baden says the security detail is back in front of her mother’s house. “I couldn’t say who was in the car because of the tinted glass, and nobody ever said anything. I took it as a general threat,” she said. “The message was, we could do terrible things to you, and nobody would be able to do anything about it. When it comes to justices at the supreme court, they make the laws, but the laws don’t apply to them.”
But despite the power Samuel Alito wields, Baden says it’s important for her to come forward.
“This story is not about me. I didn’t do anything except put a sign in my front yard,” she said. “The story is that one of the most powerful men in the country showed allegiance to an insurrection … I’m horrified by this behaviour, and want to see at least a modicum of accountability.
“If I’m coming forward, it is to encourage other people to resist. I want to galvanise people and let them know they have the power. It truly gives me chills to think how close we came to a coup, and Christian fascists taking over our country. [But] this is still a democracy.”
And you thought your neighbors were awful.
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter @Kathryn1 or Mastodon @[email protected].
