Senate Democrats authorize subpoenas in the Supreme Court ethics probe. GOP won’t back enforcement

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 challenging the legitimacy of the action and pledging to withhold support for enforcing the legal. 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. But without bipartisan backing, the subpoenas probably won’t be enforced because that would take 60 votes in the closely divided Senate.