{"id":2104591,"date":"2023-11-21T07:19:02","date_gmt":"2023-11-21T12:19:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senate-judiciary-republicans-pressure-democrats-to-tamp-down-supreme-court-investigation\/"},"modified":"2023-11-21T07:23:22","modified_gmt":"2023-11-21T12:23:22","slug":"senate-judiciary-republicans-pressure-democrats-to-tamp-down-supreme-court-investigation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senate-judiciary-republicans-pressure-democrats-to-tamp-down-supreme-court-investigation\/","title":{"rendered":"Senate Judiciary Republicans pressure Democrats to tamp down Supreme Court investigation"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsenate-judiciary-republicans-pressure-democrats-to-tamp-down-supreme-court-investigation%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2104591&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Republicans Demand Equal Treatment in Supreme Court Ethics \u2064Investigation<\/h2>\n<p>If Senate Democrats plan to subpoena conservative judicial activists as part of\u200b a Supreme \u200dCourt\u200b ethics investigation, Republicans say \u200cthey must go after liberal advocates the same way.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-IL) \u2063has sought to authorize \u2062subpoenas for influential conservative judicial activist Leonard Leo and GOP megadonor Harlan Crow, \u200cdefending the subpoenas as necessary \u2062after the pair&#8217;s \u201cdefensive, dismissive refusals\u201d to cooperate with a \u2063congressional investigation. Now,\u2064 Republicans have proposed more \u2063than 150 additional subpoenas to broaden an investigation they say is one-sided against \u2062conservative justices on the high court.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3>Republicans Propose Amendments to Expand\u2063 Investigation<\/h3>\n<p>The Washington Examiner obtained copies of amendments that Republicans want added to the\u200b proposal to subpoena Leo\u200c and Crow. Sen. Marsha Blackburn\u2062 (R-TN) previously brought up\u200c one major amendment was \u200cby demanding subpoenas for Democratic-appointed Justice Sonia\u2064 Sotomayor&#8217;s staff and book publisher.<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8220;What we learned was that over the years, her staff has pressured public institutions to buy\u2064 her \u200dbooks,&#8221;<\/strong> Blackburn said before the vote to subpoena Crow and Leo fell apart on Nov. 9, saying Democrats \u200bwere engaging in an &#8220;assault on the legitimacy of the Supreme Court.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Sotomayor\u2064 partook in two separate \u2063copyright infringement cases concerning publishing conglomerate \u200bPenguin Random House, failing to recuse from a case\u200d that involved her book publisher. Her court staff also reportedly pressured colleges and libraries to \u2062purchase more of\u2062 her books, from which \u2062she has earned nearly $4 million since she joined the \u2064court in\u200c 2009, \u200baccording to the Associated Press.<\/p>\n<p>Durbin postponed the\u200b Nov. \u200c9 planned vote to\u2064 authorize the subpoenas after Republicans\u2063 on the panel filed dozens of amendments to put other wealthy liberal advocates in the lineup, including Blackburn&#8217;s proposal. The \u2064committee once again did not vote on \u2064the subpoenas after Durbin canceled last \u2063Thursday&#8217;s meeting ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, with no clear indication of when the next vote would be called.<\/p>\n<p>After the first failed attempt, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a staunch critic of the conservative high court, vowed Democrats \u200bwould push ahead for a vote &#8220;now that we have\u200b seen this strategy&#8221; from\u2062 committee Republicans, according to a statement. Durbin similarly said, &#8220;We will continue our \u2063efforts to authorize subpoenas in the near future.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h3>Expanding the Investigation\u2062 to Include Liberal Advocates<\/h3>\n<p>Other GOP panelists have pushed to subpoena organizations \u200band \u200dnames of wealthy elites who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senate-judiciary-republicans-pressure-democrats-to-tamp-down-supreme-court-investigation\/\" title=\"Senate Judiciary Republicans pressure Democrats to tamp down Supreme Court investigation\">previously offered generous travel gifts<\/a> to two former \u200cjustices on the high court, including \u2064retired Justice Stephen Breyer and the late Justice\u2062 Ruth\u200b Bader Ginsburg, who were both nominated by Democratic presidents.<\/p>\n<p>One\u200b amendment proposed\u200d by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)\u200b called to subpoena David Rubenstein, a private equity tycoon \u2062who, according \u2064to Breyer&#8217;s\u2063 2013 disclosure, paid for his airfare \u2063to the island of Nantucket.<\/p>\n<p>Graham also proposed a subpoena for Arabella Advisors, a consulting firm overseeing an anonymously funded network that spent \u2062over $1 billion last year propping up liberal causes, including efforts to raise ethics concerns about the 6-3 Republican-appointed \u200dmajority on the high court.<\/p>\n<p>Another proposal by Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) would ask for records related to the Pritzker family&#8217;s financial contributions for many of the\u2063 justices&#8217; trips\u2063 from 2004 \u2063to 2018. Kennedy\u200b would\u2063 also seek records related to Ginsburg&#8217;s travels\u2062 to the Middle East that were\u200b supported by Morris \u2062Kahn in 2018, one year after Kahn had business before the court in Openet\u2064 Telecom,\u2064 Inc. v. Amdocs, a case \u200bfrom which\u200d Ginsburg did not recuse.<\/p>\n<p>While Republicans are in \u2062the minority in the Senate and can be thwarted \u2064by \u2064a simple 12-11 \u200bDemocratic-majority committee vote, the GOP panelists say a double standard exists for the investigation, suggesting that Durbin&#8217;s \u200cinterests are too narrowly focused on investigating conservative justices on the bench.<\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8220;If the Democrats insist on going\u2064 down this road\u2064 of partisan subpoenas, it\u2019s only\u200b fair for Republicans to seek subpoenas on friends and allies of Democrat-appointed Justices,&#8221;<\/strong> said \u200dattorney Mark Paoletta, a lawyer who worked on Republican-appointed Justice Clarence\u200d Thomas&#8217;s confirmation and is a friend of the justice.<\/p>\n<h3>Background and Response<\/h3>\n<p>Democrats&#8217; investigation into the Supreme Court&#8217;s ethical conduct was spurred after a report in April by the nonprofit outlet\u2062 ProPublica detailed Thomas&#8217;s repeated and undisclosed \u200btravel with Crow, who helped finance years\u200d of separate vacations taken by Thomas and his spouse, Ginni \u200cThomas. Interest in subpoenas for Crow\u2062 and Leo grew after ProPublica reported in July that \u200cJustice Samuel Alito was allowed \u2063to fly on billionaire Paul Singer&#8217;s plane for an Alaskan fishing trip, which was aided in organization by\u2064 Leo.<\/p>\n<p>Leo is \u2062co-chairman of the \u200dboard of the Federalist Society and helped with former President Donald Trump&#8217;s short\u200c list of Supreme Court nominees, which eventually yielded Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett \u200cKavanaugh, and Amy \u2063Coney Barrett. Leo has not been accused of wrongdoing but has vowed to fight against the \u2064&#8221;disgusting liberal McCarthyism&#8221; \u2063behind the congressional \u2062investigation&#8217;s efforts.<\/p>\n<p>Crow, who has contributed more than $429,000 \u2062to current GOP members of the committee since 2001, has offered to work with Democrats\u200c on the investigation but has \u2062disputed their authority to probe the high court, rejecting some but not all of the\u200c committee&#8217;s demands.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s unclear whether the Supreme Court&#8217;s recent adoption of a code of ethics for the first time \u200din\u2062 the \u200bhigh court&#8217;s history has stalled Democrats&#8217; progress on their investigative efforts. The Supreme Court announced the ethics code on Nov. 13 after months of pressure from Democrats in the wake of the \u200dProPublica publications, on top of reports that the justices had been in the process of\u2063 devising a code of ethics for the past several years.<\/p>\n<p>Chief Justice John \u200dRoberts and each of the current justices have said they \u200blive up \u2063to the same ethical standards for lower court justices in the years before \u200dadopting a \u2064specific ethics code. Meanwhile, some Democratic lawmakers, including Whitehouse, and other liberal-leaning advocacy \u200cgroups have already said the new code fails because it lacks an enforcement\u200d mechanism.<\/p>\n<p>Representatives for Durbin \u2063and Whitehouse \u200bdid not\u200b respond to the Washington Examiner&#8217;s request for comment.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What major amendment suggested by Blackburn called for subpoenas of Justice Sotomayor&#8217;s staff and book publisher? What potential ethical concerns were highlighted\u2064 regarding Sotomayor&#8217;s involvement in copyright infringement\u200d cases and significant earnings from book sales<\/h2>\n<p><span>  \u2062 Osed financial ties to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dems-spending-bill-grants-millions-to-left-wing-organizations-institutions\/\" title=\"Dems' Spending Bill Grants Millions to Left-Wing Organizations, Institutions\">conservative activist groups<\/a> and\u2062 donors. The article raised concerns about \u2062potential conflicts of interest and questioned the impartiality of the court.<\/p>\n<p>In response, Durbin initiated the ethics investigation, \u200dseeking to subpoena Leo and Crow, who \u2064have been influential figures in \u2063<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dem-senator-dodges-question-about-arresting-protesters-outside-scotus-justices-homes\/\" title=\"Dem Senator Dodges Question About Arresting Protesters Outside SCOTUS Justices\u2019 Homes\">conservative judicial activism<\/a>. The move was justified as necessary due to their refusal\u2063 to cooperate with the\u200b investigation.<\/p>\n<p>However, Republicans argue \u200dthat the investigation \u2064is one-sided and \u200bunfairly targets conservative justices. They have proposed\u200d amendments to expand the scope \u2064of the investigation to include liberal advocates and allies \u2064of Democrat-appointed justices.<\/p>\n<p>One major amendment suggested by Blackburn\u200c called for subpoenas of Justice Sotomayor&#8217;s staff and book publisher. Blackburn claimed that Sotomayor&#8217;s staff pressured public institutions to purchase her books, highlighting potential ethical concerns. Sotomayor&#8217;s involvement in copyright infringement cases regarding her book publisher and her significant \u2063earnings from book sales were also brought into question.<\/p>\n<p>The Republicans&#8217; proposed amendments led to the postponement \u2063and cancellation of votes on the subpoenas. Nevertheless, Democrats, led by Whitehouse\u2064 and Durbin, remain determined to \u2062proceed with the investigation and secure subpoenas.<\/p>\n<p>The Republican panelists have also\u2063 suggested subpoenas for organizations and individuals who have offered \u2063generous travel gifts to former \u200cjustices Breyer and Ginsburg,\u200d both appointed\u2064 by Democratic presidents. The aim \u2062is to investigate potential conflicts of interest and raise ethical concerns regarding liberal justices.<\/p>\n<p>The Republicans\u2062 argue\u200b that there is a double standard\u2063 in the investigation, with Durbin&#8217;s focus predominantly on conservative justices. They believe that if Democrats want to pursue partisan\u200d subpoenas, it is only fair for Republicans to seek subpoenas targeting allies of Democrat-appointed justices as well.<\/p>\n<p>Despite being in \u200cthe minority, Republicans on the\u200d committee assert their belief in equal treatment\u2064 and fairness in the investigation. They contend that the current \u2062approach\u200d undermines the legitimacy of the Supreme Court and perpetuates a partisan divide.<\/p>\n<p>The ethics investigation of\u200d the Supreme Court&#8217;s conduct has its origins in the ProPublica report, which highlighted financial ties of Justice Thomas to conservative groups and donors. The report sparked concerns\u2062 regarding impartiality and integrity.<\/p>\n<p>The article concludes with both sides of the debate still at odds and no clear indication of the next steps in the investigation. The clash between Democrats \u200cand Republicans over the extent and fairness of the investigation\u2062 reflects the \u200ddeep divisions within the Supreme Court and the broader political landscape.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If Senate Democrats plan to subpoena conservative judicial activists as part of a Supreme Court ethics investigation, Republicans say they must go after liberal advocates the same way. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-IL) has sought to authorize subpoenas for influential conservative judicial activist Leonard Leo and GOP megadonor Harlan Crow, defending the subpoenas<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2104592,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2104591","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2104591","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2104591"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2104591\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2104592"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2104591"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2104591"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2104591"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}