Who is Martha-Ann Alito, wife of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito? She’s at the centre of controversy after flying the American flag upside down, like the Capitol rioters … but why?

US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito is facing increasing backlash over a controversial flag raised outside his home. At the centre of the controversy is his wife Martha-Ann who has mostly remained out of the spotlight despite her husband’s influential position. Until now. Earlier this year, photos were published of the “upside-down” American flag flown at the Alitos’ home in Virginia in 2021 – rioters at the Capitol attacks had carried the flag in a similar manner in protest against the election result. According to Alito and neighbours, the raising of the upside down flag was at the behest of Martha-Ann – and calls for Alito to withdraw himself from cases related to the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021, have been stonewalled by him. But then Alito is no stranger to controversy – he wrote the opinion overturning Roe vs Wade in 2022, one of the most controversial decisions by the court in decades. Now, it is his wife in the eye of the storm. Here is what you need to know. It started with the neighbours Martha Ann Alito isn't strong or tall enough to lower the American flag from her flagpole, unclip it, rearrange it, and raise it again ALONE. Especially without it touching the ground. Flag-raising is usually done by two or three people so the flag isn't crumpled or dirtied. pic.twitter.com/X27Fw7GEOk — Mónica ☮️🌎 (@Moniorti) May 25, 2024 According to The New York Times, the flag fight started with an argument between Martha-Ann and neighbours. Per The Hill, neighbour Emily Baden and her then partner, who has not been identified, put up yard signs saying “Bye Don” and “F*** Trump” after US President Joe Biden won the election in 2020. After the Capitol riots, the couple posted more signs that read “You are complicit”. It was then that the inverted American flag was flown outside the Alito home. Per The Hill, Baden claims Martha-Ann later spat on their car as they drove by, and called them “fascists” while out on a walk, as well as cursing them heavily. It was then that police were called about the incident. Although there was no charges, the incident report has since been leaked. Justice Samuel Alito isn’t afraid to defend his wife Despite mounting criticism against him and his wife, the Supreme Court justice has remained steadfast in his support of Martha-Ann. In a letter to Congress, Alito insisted he and his wife were not aware of the flag’s links to rioters, saying, “She makes her own decisions and I honour her right to do so.” Alito also commented on the impact his role in the public eye has had on his relationship: “She has made many sacrifices to accommodate my services on the Supreme Court, including the insult of having to endure numerous loud, obscene and personally insulting protests that continue in front of our home and continue to this day and now threaten to escalate.” A preference for privacy Since her husband became one of the most influential men in America more than 18 years ago, Martha-Ann has opted to remain out of the spotlight. The New York Times reports that when Martha-Ann has attended events, she rarely speaks about her personal life. Speaking to New Jersey.com back in 2006, Martha-Ann said “the most amazing part is why do people care about our life”. The preparation her husband faced ahead of his position as justice left her less enamoured towards a life in the public eye, especially when raising two children. “For me personally, the two months preceding [his appointment] were the horrible part of our life,” she told the New York Times. Why Justice Sam Alito withdrew from so many cases In 2013, Alito recused himself from dozens of cases – a step reserved for an adjudicator to withdraw when there is a potential bias. It was later revealed that Martha-Ann’s father had died, leaving her stocks in various companies. The cases Alito recused himself from involved the companies he was now linked to because of his wife’s inheritance. Martha Alito led a nomadic life A profile by the Lexington Herald Leader drew recent attention to Martha-Ann’s nomadic childhood – her father was an air controller in the air force and her mother worked a librarian at each base the family moved to. She has claimed Wiesbaden, Germany, as her hometown, and later gained a master’s degree in library science at the UK School of Library and Information Science.