Democrats drop effort to subpoena Republican megadonor tied to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas

Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have seemingly abandoned their efforts to subpoena Republican megadonor Harlan Crow and conservative activist Leonard Leo, two men with close connections with conservative justices on the U.S.  Supreme Court.

Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) abruptly adjourned a meeting of the Judiciary Committee, where members were expected to vote on the subpoenas.

Why did Durbin suddenly back off of holding the vote? Well, that comes down to Republicans on the Judiciary Committee threatening to subpoena Democratic officials and other donors.

However, Durbin did attempt to save face by saying, "We will continue our efforts to authorize subpoenas in the near future. The highest court in the land cannot have the lowest ethical standards."

Harlan Crow has been close to Thomas for years, and Democrats have accused Crow of giving the jurist luxury trips, which Democrats contend is an example of a billionaire buying a Supreme Court justice.

This ignores the fact that Thomas and Crow have been friends for decades, and there is nothing to suggest that Crow is somehow influencing Thomas's vote. Nonetheless, Democrats in the legislative branch are attempting to interfere with the judicial branch of the government, a clear violation of the U.S. Constitution.