The Senate Judiciary Committee authorized subpoenas for Harlan Crow and Leonard Leo amid Supreme Court ethics probe, prompting GOP backlash.
Democratic lawmakers on the committee voted to issue the subpoenas for the GOP megadonor and conservative judicial activist. The development marked a new front in the panel's investigation into the ethics practices within the high court.
Subpoenas in Supreme Court Ethics Probe
The committee approved the subpoenas after a contentious meeting where Republican lawmakers accused their Democratic colleagues of trying to undermine the Supreme Court. They argued that this was being done by targeting private citizens.
The GOP members of the committee walked out of the room while the vote was taking place and only Sen. Lindsey Graham, the top Republican in the panel, remained. All 11 Democrats voted in support of authorizing the subpoenas against Crow and Leo.
Lawmakers are seeking documents from the two individuals about gifts, trips, and lodging that were provided to any member of the Supreme Court. The two individuals' involvement in luxury trips provided to Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito was revealed in several reports this year, as per CBS News.
In a statement, Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Dick Durbin said that the attempts to thwart the legitimate oversight efforts of Congress should concern all of them. His remarks, which came before the vote, added that they are not seeking the authorization lightly and do not do it often.
The Illinois Democrat called the subpoenaed individuals "central players" in the ethics challenges at the Supreme Court. On the other hand, Graham accused the left of attacking the integrity of the court, which now has a 6:3 conservative majority.
He argued that the probe that involves Crow and Leo is "politically motivated" and could lead senators to pursue subpoenas for private citizens they do not like. Graham noted that Democrats' efforts could destroy the court and the justices' reputations.
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Prompting a GOP Walk-Out
The subpoenas against Crow and Leo were advanced by Durbin and federal courts subcommittee Chair Sheldon Whitehouse after the two refused to cooperate with their investigation into Supreme Court ethics, according to The Hill.
Durbin said that his committee staff had tried for several months to get information from Crow and Leo. After the meeting, Sens. Ted Cruz and Mike Lee argued that the subpoenas were "invalid" because they were issued in violation of Senate and committee rules.
Cruz said that the vote to authorize the subpoenas did not conclude until a few minutes afternoon. He claimed that this violated the two-hour rule that requires the committee to wrap up all business within two hours unless waived.
A spokesperson for the Office of Crow slammed the approved subpoenas, calling them unlawful and partisan. In a statement, he said that the Democrats on the committee were in violation of their own rules, showing the true nature of the investigation.
Crow's office continued to say that the GOP donor was willing to engage with the committee in good faith despite the unenforceability of the subpoena. It noted that this was the same as he has done in the past and throughout the process, said Fox News.
