On the heels of Supreme Court Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy's retirement announcement, it's now being predicted that the fight for his replacement could be the costliest Supreme Court battle in history.
The 81-year-old Kennedy said Wednesday he will step down from the nation's highest court at the end of July. According to The Hill, the battle between Republicans and Democrats regarding whomever takes Kennedy's spot on the bench won't be cheap.
"I would not be surprised at all if it not only set a record, but we saw far more spending than we saw in past Supreme Court battles," Robert Maguire of the Center for Responsive Politics told the Hill.
"We're seeing groups gear up faster than they have in the past. These groups are well-funded. They can raise money for this, something that wealthy donors are very passionate about."
Within hours of Kennedy's announcement, Democrats were on television and vowing to fight as hard as they can to prevent a hard-right judge from being appointed to the court. And they argued that the GOP-controlled Senate should not hold any hearings or confirmation votes on any nominee until after the November midterm elections, citing the failed appointment of Merrick Garland in 2016.
The right-leaning Judicial Crisis Network spent $10 million during the nomination process of Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch and expects to spend at least that on the next pick.
"This is going to be an even bigger fight and therefore I only anticipate the budget will grow," Carrie Severino of Judicial Crisis Network told the Hill.
The White House released a list of potential Supreme Court nominees a short time after Kennedy said he would step down. Counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway said Friday President Donald Trump could pick someone in mid-July or sooner.
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