The conservative legal activist Leonard Leo hung the same controversial flag outside his home on Mount Desert Island as it was recently reported that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito flew outside one of his homes, according to a journalist from the investigative news outlet ProPublica.
Known as the “Appeal to Heaven” flag, it includes those words in black letters above the image of a green pine tree, all against a white background.
The flag, which dates to the Revolutionary War and was also carried by some rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, was hung at the New Jersey beach home of Alito last summer, the New York Times reported this week.
That came after an upside-down American flag, associated with efforts to overturn the 2020 election, was also reportedly hung at Alito’s home in Virginia. Some legal scholars have expressed concern about the displays, which come as the Supreme Court has considered various cases involving the Jan. 6 insurrection.
On Thursday, Andy Kroll, a reporter from ProPublica, shared on X a photo of the Appeal to Heaven flag flying outside Leo’s home in Northeast Harbor. It did not include a time or date when the photo was taken.
In a statement that Leo subsequently shared with the reporter and the BDN, he distanced himself from the Jan. 6 insurrectionists and said he appreciates the flag for various historic and cultural reasons, including its associations with patriotic duty and the U.S. Navy. He also pointed to his affinity for pine trees, given his residence in Maine.
The Appeal to Heaven flag is also known as the Pine Tree Flag, and it’s similar in appearance to the historic Maine flag with a pine tree and a blue star that’s become popular in recent years.
The Appeal to Heaven flag was not outside Leo’s home on Thursday. It was replaced by a white flag that appeared to feature the words “Jesus Maria.”
Leo, a devout Catholic, has played a behind-the-scenes role in shaping the conservative supermajority now on the Supreme Court, according to reporting by ProPublica and other news outlets.
He advised former President Donald Trump on the nominations of Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, according to ProPublica, and he earlier helped get Alito, Clarence Thomas and John Roberts onto the court. He and Alito have also dined and traveled together.
Leo’s home on MDI has been the site of numerous protests in recent years, particularly after the Supreme Court overturned federal protections for abortion.
BDN writer Bill Trotter contributed reporting.
