The Senate Judiciary Committee voted on Thursday to issue subpoenas to conservative activists Harlan Crow and Leonard Leo, as part of an investigation into ethics practices at the Supreme Court. Republican members of the committee walked out of the room during the vote, accusing Democrats of attempting to undermine the court. The investigation was launched after reports revealed the court had failed to properly disclose gifts and travel expenses from conservative groups. The committee is now requesting information from Crow and Leo, as part of a new ethics code that requires justices to disclose gifts and travel expenses and recuse themselves from cases in which they have a financial interest.
Posts tagged as “Leonard Leo”
The Senate Judiciary Committee has announced plans to issue subpoenas to three individuals in connection with a probe into ethics practices at the Supreme Court. The 11 Democratic members of the panel are targeting two wealthy Republican donors and an influential conservative legal activist in order to uncover more information about the trips provided to two Supreme Court justices. The investigation is a significant escalation of the Democrats' efforts to hold the high court accountable, and the subpoenas could provide important insight into the relationship between the justices and wealthy donors.
The Senate Judiciary Committee has announced plans to seek subpoenas for three influential conservatives as part of their investigation into Supreme Court ethics. This follows news reports about justices accepting gifts and trips from billionaires without disclosing them, as well as the Wisconsin Supreme Court's decision to shield Gov. Scott Walker from a criminal investigation. The committee is hoping the subpoenas will provide more information about the influence of wealthy donors on the Supreme Court.
Justice Samuel Alito has refused to recuse himself from an upcoming tax case involving lawyer David Rivkin, who had interviewed Alito in two articles published in The Wall Street Journal. Sen. Richard Durbin had questioned Alito's participation in the case, but Alito released a statement saying there was no valid reason for his recusal. This decision has strengthened the conservative majority on the Supreme Court, which is set to hear the case in the coming months.
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has been accused of ethical misconduct after taking a luxury fishing trip to Alaska in 2008 aboard a private jet chartered by a hedge fund billionaire. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island has called the situation a "real mess" and Alito preemptively wrote an article in The Wall Street Journal defending himself against the allegations. This has sparked a debate about the ethical standards of Supreme Court Justices and the potential for conflicts of interest.
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has published a commentary in The Wall Street Journal defending himself from questions about his ethical conduct raised in an upcoming article by ProPublica. Alito claims he had recused himself from cases involving entities connected to hedge fund founder Paul Singer and reported gifts on his financial disclosure forms. ProPublica is expected to publish its investigation into Alito’s ethical conduct later today, raising questions about the accuracy of Alito’s claims.