By Devan Cole | CNN
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Thursday to authorize subpoenas for conservatives Leonard Leo and Harlan crow in its probe into ethics controversies at the Supreme Court.
In a party-line vote, the Democratic-led committee approved the requests for documents and records from Leo, the co-chairman of the board of the influential Federalist Society who has played a significant role in selecting conservative Supreme Court justices, and Crow, a GOP megadonor whose largesse to Justice Clarence Thomas over the years has raised questions about why the conservative jurist has at times failed to report the gifts.
The move is a significant escalation in the committee’s ongoing probe and comes nearly three weeks after the court attempted to address some of the concerns raised by congressional Democrats and others by announcing a new ethics code.
“Leonard Leo continued to ignore our efforts and Harlan Crown has refused to provide a sufficient response,” Chairman Dick Durbin said at one point during Thursday’s meeting.
Despite the successful vote, Democrats still have hurdles ahead. If Leo and Crow choose not to comply, the Senate would be forced to hold a vote to enforce the subpoenas, which might not win the required 60 votes in the closely split chamber.
“We believe what you’re doing is politically motivated. There’s not an ounce of legislative purpose in these subpoenas,” said South Carolina Sen. Lindsay Graham, the panel’s top Republican.
Durbin rejected the accusation that the vote was illegitimate, arguing that the subpoenas were essential for preserving the integrity of the high court.
“The reputation and integrity of the Supreme Court is very important element in our system of government,” he said. “The court neither has the power to call up an army or to deny appropriations. Their reputation depends on their activities, particularly their code of conduct and we think that’s an important issue for the…
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