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Reverend Rob Schenck recently told the New York Times that he
was informed of the 2014 Hobby Lobby v. Burwell ruling weeks
before its public announcement after two conservative allies of
his dined at the home of Justice Samuel Alito and his wife.
Alito has denied the allegation.
Schenck, who has since disavowed many of his socially
conservative stances, will appear on Thursday at a House
Judiciary Committee hearing titled "Undue Influence: Operation
Higher Court and Politicking at SCOTUS," according to a
previously released witness list.
Earlier this year, a majority opinion written by Alito and
overturning the landmark 1973 Roe v Wade decision that had
legalized abortion nationwide, was leaked to Politico.
U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts directed the Supreme Court's
marshal to investigate the leak, calling it a "betrayal."
Justice Alito, an intellectual hero among some conservatives,
would later say the leak this year put him and his colleagues at
risk of assassination.
In interviews with the Times, Schenck described a campaign to
gain access to justices through elaborate networking schemes and
donations to third-party institutions.
The 2014 Hobby Lobby decision was a victory for religious
conservatives, as it exempted family-owned businesses that
objected on religious grounds from a federal requirement that
any health insurance they provide to employees must cover birth
control for women.
Some Democrats have said the leaks show the Court needs more
oversight and that the increasingly conservative body is
susceptible to influence peddling.
(Reporting by Gram Slattery)
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