North Carolina Chief Justice hoists controversial flag day after Samuel Alito reports

On Thursday, May 23, the day that the New York Times finally revealed the photo of Judge Samuel Alito's home displaying the "Appeal to Heaven" flag at his beach house, another judge began flying one.

The News and Observer revealed that North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby had the same flag that was adopted by Jan. 6 attackers flying above his beach house.

The report noted that Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson (N.C.) previously flew the flag at his office building in Raleigh.

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"When Robinson flew the flag, his spokesperson said it was in celebration of Halifax Resolves Day, which honors the date that the Fourth Provincial Congress noted its intent to become independent from Britain," the report claimed. "That holiday is held on April 12 every year. The flag flew at Newby’s home over a month later."

Newby, a Federalist Society judge, swore that he never knew that the flag was associated with Jan. 6. Flying it the day after the national reports was merely a coincidence and that he usually flies the flag on Memorial Day, which fell on May 27 this year.

“Until recently, we had no idea of the association of the ‘An Appeal to Heaven’ flag with anything other than its actual history — a history that reminds us to pray for our nation,” he told N&O. “At no point did we intend the display of the flag to be a political statement, only a statement of our faith.”

The report cited Indiana University law professor Charles Geyh, who explained that judges, particularly the top judge on the state's top court, would know that "they need to act at all times in a manner that promotes their impartiality. That is undermined by essentially running their ideological perspective up a flagpole.”

The reporters authenticated the date of the photo and the location of the home along with the ownership. Records show that the home is owned by an LLC called MTN RE, which is owned by Newby's wife.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) also has the flag and displays it in his Capitol office, a 2023 report said.

Read the full report right here.