Senate Democrats authorize subpoenas in the Supreme Court ethics probe as Republicans stage walkout

By STEPHEN GROVES and MARK SHERMAN
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have voted to authorize subpoenas for two prominent conservatives who arranged luxury travel and other benefits for Supreme Court justices. But Republicans are planning to object to the legitimacy of the action. The committee chairman, Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, pushed through the vote in the meeting’s final moments on Thursday after Republicans had walked out. The vote from the 11 Democrats would authorize subpoenas for Republican megadonor Harlan Crow and conservative activist Leonard Leo. Yet Durbin acknowledged that ultimately enforcement of the subpoenas may hinge on a 60-vote threshold in the closely divided Senate.