Senate Judiciary Committee to Subpoena Justice’s Billionaire Supporters

The Senate Judiciary Committee has announced plans to vote to subpoena a pair of billionaires who reportedly gave lavish gifts to Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, Andrew Solender reports for Axios. The committee plans to subpoena billionaires Harlan Crow and Robin Arkley, as well as conservative judicial activist Leonard Leo. Crow provided Thomas with years worth of luxury trips and other gifts, while Arkley partially funded Alito’s attendance on a luxury fishing trip organized by Leo.

Crow’s office, in a statement, called the subpoena “unnecessary, partisan, and politically motivated,” and his lawyers have refused to provide itemized lists of gifts, travel and lodging he provided to Thomas, saying that they “do not believe the Committee has the authority to investigate Mr. Crow’s personal friendship with Justice Thomas.” The subpoenas are intended to help build pressure on Chief Justice John Roberts to institute a binding code of conduct, which he has so far refused to do.