WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) and all other Judiciary Republicans in urging Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the committee’s chairman, to refocus the committee on addressing the most pressing issues facing Americans.

Instead, Judiciary Committee Democrats are forcing members to participate in a partisan effort to destroy the credibility of the Supreme Court and “weaponize the powers of the Committee in a political campaign of partisan destruction.” 

The letter comes after Durbin led Judiciary Democrats in demanding information from Harlan Crow, a private citizen, related to travel and hospitality provided to a Supreme Court Justice.

“We write with grave concerns about your demands. Consistent with its Article I power and the Rules of the Senate, the Committee must have a legitimate legislative purpose for its inquiry into Mr. Crow’s affairs, and the scope of the inquiry must be reasonably related to its purpose. There appears to be neither here,” wrote the senators.

“Your requests appear misaligned and political.  Further, they only target conservative members of the Supreme Court. To start, your letters claim that you believe ‘private access’ to justices—seemingly when justices socialize with anyone not on the Court—‘creates an appearance of undue influence that undermines the public’s trust in the Court’s impartiality.’ But judges, justices, politicians, and other public figures engage with friends in private settings every day—just as anyone else,” they continued. 

“We urge you to withdraw your May 8th letters to Mr. Crow and his entities and to refocus the Judiciary Committee’s efforts on legitimate inquiries. With the country confronting a fentanyl epidemic and a crisis on our border due to illegal immigration, there are many issues worthy of this Committee’s time and efforts,” the senators concluded.

The full letter, which also cites relevant case law and numerous instances of hospitality received by justices that Democrats favor, is available here. 

Kennedy’s recent defense of the Supreme Court in Judiciary Committee hearings can be viewed here and here.