Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y) and the Senate Democrats are scrutinizing the “dark” practices allegedly being used to push through multiple judicial appointments.
During an interview on MSNBC’s “Eleventh Hour” late Wednesday, Schumer discussed the “unprecedented wave” of judicial appointments being pushed through by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
He shed light on Democrats’ report uncovering what he described as a “twisted web of dark money.” According to Schumer, the group includes one of President Donald Trump’s outside advisors and a network of multimillionaire donors.
Schumer referenced conservative activist Leonard Leo and the Federalist Society. The report says Leo reportedly heads an “influential network” that has “rigged the judicial nominating and approval process,” according to CNBC.
“We found that a very small group of powerful, wealthy, hard-right donors have sent millions and millions of dollars in dark money to influence the process and they’ve had huge success,” Schumer explained in the interview.
He went on to further discuss the Republican group’s interests. He suggested their intent is to reform the judicial system while rewriting the Constitution.
By incorporating ideological activist judges, Republicans would be able to favorably tilt the balance of power to accommodate Republicans’ set interests, according to Schumer.
“The idea that the courts are down the middle is fading away,” Schumer said. “They’ve been politicized, influenced by this dark money, which chooses people of only a particular point of view — not people who call balls and strikes anymore — but rather those who have a set interest.”
See Schumer’s remarks below:
"The idea that the courts are down the middle is fading away," Senate Minority Leader Schumer says of Republicans pushing through Pres. Trump’s judicial nominees. “They've been politicized, influenced by this dark money, which chooses people of only a particular point of view.” pic.twitter.com/JzGn3etbi0
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) May 28, 2020
Senate Democrats’ latest move comes as they campaign to regain control of the Senate. The report, which is considered to be the first of many, aims to highlight what Democratic lawmakers describe as “corruption and conflicts of interests now spreading around the Trump judiciary.”
The report was published on Wednesday and is by Schumer and Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).
Currently, Republicans have a 53-47 majority, but they will be defending more seats in the November election which could alter the balance of power. Trajectory reports also suggest four of the Republican-held Senate seats — in Arizona, Colorado, Maine, North Carolina — could sway either way.
The Senate is typically responsible for the approval of nominations for the federal judiciary, which includes the Supreme Court. Schumer has vowed to disclose any corruption as Senate Democrats fight to disengage this network.
“They all have to go, they all have to disclose,” Schumer said. “This is not just for Republican-leaning groups that have to disclose.”
