Democrats despise Justices Thomas and Alito and are trying to intimidate them and their friends by issuing subpoenas.

In their efforts to do that, they’re ignoring the law and breaking the Senate Judiciary Committee rules. https://t.co/VxdOG0oby0

— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) November 30, 2023

The first claim in the tweets, that Democrats are trying to intimidate Justices Thomas and Alito by issuing subpoenas, is not accurate based on the available information. The subpoenas authorized by the Democratic-led U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee were actually for Harlan Crow, a billionaire Republican donor and benefactor of Justice Clarence Thomas, and Leonard Leo, a legal activist influential in Republican former President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominations​​. The subpoenas are part of an ethics inquiry spurred by reports of undisclosed benefits provided to some conservative Supreme Court justices​​. (Reuters)

The second claim, that Democrats are breaking the Senate Judiciary Committee rules to issue these subpoenas, is also not supported by the available information. The subpoenas were authorized as part of the Committee’s investigation into Supreme Court ethics. This action was taken following the refusal by Crow and Leo to voluntarily comply with the Committee’s requests for information, including lists of gifts, transportation, and lodging provided to any Supreme Court justice​​. Furthermore, the Committee has been seeking to address what it perceives as an ethical crisis within the Supreme Court, citing decades of justices not disclosing gifts and other benefits as required by federal laws​​. (Reuters, U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary)

Regarding the procedures followed, the committee has the authority to issue subpoenas if necessary. Leonard Leo and Robin Arkley’s blanket refusals to comply with the Committee’s requests, despite repeated efforts to engage them, led to the decision to issue subpoenas​​. Additionally, Harlan Crow’s responses to the Committee’s inquiries were considered inadequate, leading to the decision to subpoena him as well​​. (U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary)

Overall, the tweets’ claims regarding the targeting of Justices Thomas and Alito and the alleged breach of Senate Judiciary Committee rules do not align with the reported facts. The subpoenas are directed at individuals closely associated with Supreme Court justices, and they are part of an ongoing ethics investigation by the Senate Judiciary Committee.