Republicans claim Democrats have hidden motives in seeking subpoenas for Supreme Court ethics investigation.
Republican Senators Push Back Against Efforts to Subpoena Private Citizens Connected to Conservative Supreme Court Justices
Republican members of the Democrat-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee are standing up against the majority’s attempts to subpoena private citizens linked to conservative Supreme Court justices. The committee is currently conducting an investigation as it advocates for Democrat-backed legislation that aims to impose a code of ethics on the high court. Republicans argue that this legislation is unconstitutional.
Republicans have suggested that Democrats, who are pushing to pack the Supreme Court with liberal justices, are only targeting the court because its conservative-leaning majority has been issuing decisions that they find objectionable.
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Out of the six conservative justices, three were appointed by Republican President Donald Trump. The committee approved the ethics bill on July 20 with a party line vote of 11-10.
This investigation comes after the disclosure earlier this year of alleged ethical violations committed by conservative members of the Supreme Court, particularly Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.
The clash between Republicans and Democrats occurred on Nov. 2 when committee Chairman Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) postponed a scheduled vote to subpoena Harlan Crow, Leonard Leo, and Robin Arkley II in the ethics probe. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) criticized Democrats for their misplaced priorities.
“Have you not noticed the world is on fire? You’re spending more time trying to fix the Supreme Court than you are the border,” he exclaimed.
“Your policies across the board are not working. I’ve tried to work with you, to the point of probably my own detriment. But the underlying approach you’re taking, all of us believe is unconstitutional.
“You’re trying to manage in court—I wouldn’t let y’all manage anything. You’re trying to create a political issue that I think crosses constitutional boundaries.”
Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) criticized the committee for not conducting “real oversight.”
“It’s part of this whirlwind of your party’s effort to undermine the Supreme Court. It’s part of a campaign by the Left to harass the Supreme Court because you don’t like some of the recent decisions,” he stated.
“This is all part of the Left’s political master plan to delegitimize the Supreme Court.”
Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) also expressed his opinion.
“I agree with Sen. Graham. This is partly a pretext to try to conceal the utter failures of [President] Joe Biden and the Democratic Party because all of you voted for $3 trillion of spending that this country didn’t need and our government can’t afford,” he said.
“We have record-high inflation. People can’t afford their groceries. They can’t afford gas. They can’t pay the rent. They can’t make car payments.”
In an Oct. 31 Senate floor speech, Chairman Durbin described the three subpoena targets as “two billionaire mega-donors and one of their enablers—who sit at the center of the ethical crisis currently gripping the United States Supreme Court.”
“[The subpoena vote] is the next step in the committee’s ongoing investigation on the ethics of the Supreme Court. It comes only after Mr. Crow refused to comply with committee requests, and Mr. Leo and [Mr.] Arkley outright stonewalled the committee in the exercise of our constitutional authority,” Mr. Durbin said at the time.
Democrats are upset that Mr. Crow, a wealthy GOP donor, provided Justice Thomas with luxurious vacations, tuition support for a grandnephew, and purchased low-cost real estate from the justice’s family. Justice Thomas did not disclose these events at the time, claiming it was not required, but he has committed to disclosing such events in the future.
No evidence has emerged to suggest that the justice’s vote in specific cases before the court was influenced by these gifts.
The latest development in Justice Thomas’s story came last week when The New York Times reported new information about a recreational vehicle that the justice purchased years ago with financial assistance from a wealthy friend. The lender ultimately forgave a significant portion of the loan, raising potential tax and ethical implications, according to the latest NY Times report.
Mr. Leo is the chairman of the Federalist Society, a lawyers’ group that supports adherence to the Constitution and advocates for conservative, constitutionalist nominees for the bench. Mr. Arkley is the president and CEO of the Security National Master Holding Co., and the mortgage company’s owner is a donor to the Republican Party.
During the Nov. 2 hearing, Chairman Durbin explained that Democrats are taking action because “story after story” has emerged about lavish gifts and luxury trips that Supreme Court justices have accepted without disclosing. The committee has been seeking the voluntary cooperation of individuals and organizations involved in these incidents for many months.
However, potential witnesses have boldly claimed that the committee lacks the constitutional jurisdiction to conduct oversight, Durbin noted.
Democrats want to proceed with the subpoenas because “billionaires who are heavily invested in influencing the Supreme Court have been caught giving enormous secret gifts to individual justices,” said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), the main sponsor of the ethics bill. He added that Congress is entitled to investigate despite the “theatrical wailing and gnashing of teeth” from these billionaires and their lawyers.
What is the purpose behind the Democrat-backed legislation that aims to impose a code of ethics on the Supreme Court, and why do Republicans argue that it is unconstitutional?
The recent clash between Republican and Democratic senators on the Democrat-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee highlights the ongoing battle over the Supreme Court and its conservative-leaning majority. Republican members of the committee are pushing back against the majority’s efforts to subpoena private citizens connected to conservative Supreme Court justices.
The committee, currently conducting an investigation, is advocating for Democrat-backed legislation that aims to impose a code of ethics on the high court. Republicans argue that this legislation is unconstitutional. They suggest that Democrats are only targeting the Supreme Court because its conservative majority has been issuing decisions that they find objectionable.
Out of the six conservative justices, three were appointed by Republican President Donald Trump. The committee approved the ethics bill on July 20 with a party line vote of 11-10. This investigation comes after the disclosure earlier this year of alleged ethical violations committed by conservative members of the Supreme Court, particularly Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.
The clash between Republicans and Democrats occurred on November 2 when committee Chairman Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) postponed a scheduled vote to subpoena Harlan Crow, Leonard Leo, and Robin Arkley II in the ethics probe. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) criticized Democrats for their misplaced priorities, highlighting the urgent issues happening in the world, such as the border crisis.
Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) criticized the committee for not conducting “real oversight” and accused the Left of trying to harass the Supreme Court and delegitimize it through their campaign. Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) expressed his agreement with Senator Graham and accused the Democrats of trying to distract from the failures of President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party by focusing on the Supreme Court.
Chairman Durbin defended the decision to subpoena the three individuals in his Senate floor speech, describing them as “two billionaire mega-donors and one of their enablers—who sit at the center of the ethical crisis currently gripping the United States Supreme Court.” He stated that this subpoena vote was the next step in the committee’s ongoing investigation on the ethics of the Supreme Court.
Democrats are particularly upset with Harlan Crow, a wealthy GOP donor, for allegedly providing Justice Thomas with lavish vacations, financial support for a grandnephew’s tuition, and purchasing low-cost real estate from the justice’s family.
The battle between Republicans and Democrats over the Supreme Court continues to intensify, with each side accusing the other of playing politics and trying to undermine the integrity of the court. As the investigation proceeds and the debate over the ethics bill continues, it remains to be seen how this clash will impact the future of the Supreme Court and the balance of power within it.
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