Roberts rejects plea to discuss Supreme Court ethics and Alito flag controversy

US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts (Nati Harnik/AP)

Chief Justice John Roberts has declined an invitation to meet with Democratic senators to talk about Supreme Court ethics and the controversy over flags that flew outside homes owned by Justice Samuel Alito.

Mr Roberts’ response came in a letter to the senators a day after Mr Alito separately wrote them and House members to reject their demands that he recuse from major Supreme Court cases involving former president Donald Trump and the January 6 rioters because of the flags, which are like those carried by rioters at the 2021 attack on the Capitol.