WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 21: (L-R) Associate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas sits with his wife and conservative activist Virginia Thomas while he waits to speak at the Heritage Foundation on October 21, 2021 in Washington, DC. Clarence Thomas has now served on the Supreme Court for 30 years. He was nominated by former President George H. W. Bush in 1991 and is the second African-American to serve on the high court, following Justice Thurgood Marshall. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Democrats voted to subpoena two well-known conservatives who organized extravagant trips and other perks for Supreme Court justices.
Republicans have disputed the validity of the vote and promised not to support the implementation of the subpoenas.
During the last moments of the meeting, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), who is the chairman of the committee, successfully carried out a vote despite Republicans walking out in protest.
The 11 Democrats voted in favor of granting subpoenas for Republican megadonor Harlan Crow and conservative activist Leonard Leo.
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However, due to the absence of bipartisan support, it is unlikely that these subpoenas will be enforced, as it would require 60 votes in the Senate, which currently has 49 GOP members.
In a heated committee meeting, Republicans attempted to postpone the vote until Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), the committee’s leading Republican, enforced a rule to restrict the meeting’s duration to two hours.
Durbin persisted in going ahead with a vote to grant authority for subpoenas.
“They think we’re gonna roll over and come back sometime later and try all over again and face the same limitations. There reaches a point where there has to be a vote,” Durbin said.
Graham expressed his willingness to let go of the dispute regarding the adherence to committee rules and mentioned that the subpoenas wouldn’t be enforced in the end.
Leo and Crow both released statements saying they wouldn’t cooperate with the subpoenas.
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