Source behind viral claim that Alito is in hiding says he can’t remember where he heard it

There have been reports that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and his family have had to hide following a Politico report that published of a draft opinion on abortion rights.

The draft was written by Alito and has been circulated inside the conservative-dominated court, the news outlet reported. The leak has ignited political turmoil and resulted in abortion rights activists showing up at the homes of other justices over the weekend.

Conservative media outlets have reported that Alito and his family were moved to an undisclosed location for safety. According to Politico, the reports were fueled by comments from conservative lawyer Ilya Shapiro, who said on Fox News this Saturday that he “heard that Justice Alito has been taken to an undisclosed location with his family.”

But now, Shapiro says he isn't sure where he heard that claim.

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“I don’t have any non-public sources,” he said. “I forget whether I saw the rumor on Twitter or somebody told me. I don’t know.”

Politico points out that an attendee at a legal conference in Nashville that Alito was scheduled to appear at said he delivered a video message instead.

"Alito's address was short and shot in amateurish fashion in front of a white wall, which could suggest there was an abrupt change in Alito's plans," Politico reports.

The draft opinion calls the landmark 1973 Roe v Wade decision enshrining the right to abortion "egregiously wrong from the start."

"We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled," Alito writes in the document, labeled as the "Opinion of the Court" and published on Politico's website. "It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people's elected representatives."

Reproductive rights have been increasingly under threat in the United States in recent months as states have moved to tighten restrictions.

With additional reporting via AFP