A new essay in Reason pushes back against a New York Times report on Chief Justice John Roberts's summer home in Maine. The author, a law professor who wrote a book critical of Roberts, says the Times piece by Jodi Kantor describes how neighbors protest outside his home on kayaks and accost him in public, but offers no evidence that Roberts did anything wrong. He contrasts it with earlier controversies, such as the flags flown at Justice Alito's homes, where actual allegations of impropriety existed.
The essay argues the real purpose of the Times story is to show Roberts as isolated and alienated in a place he has long used as a refuge. It also objects to the article identifying Roberts's daughter as a liberal, noting she has not sought public attention and was simply defending her father. The author writes that the coverage could make it impossible for Roberts to return to the island, and that only the Times could make him sympathetic to the Chief Justice.
Because this is a single opinion piece, it does not represent a broader debate. The essay does not dispute the factual claims in the Times report, but challenges their relevance and framing, arguing that personal and family details should be off-limits absent any allegation of misconduct.