Gorsuch has dinner at GOP senator’s home

Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch dined Monday night with Republican senators and other Washington officials.

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said Monday night that he was among Sen. John Cornyn’s (R-Texas) dinner guests, along with Gorsuch, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and other senators.

I enjoyed having dinner tonight at the home of Senator John Cornyn and his wife Sandy with our newest Supreme Court Justice, Neil Gorsuch, Transportation Secretary Chao and a few of my other Senate colleagues to talk about important issues facing our country.

— Sen. Lamar Alexander (@SenAlexander) January 23, 2018

Chao is married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).{mosads}

Further details of the dinner were not immediately made known. The dinner did not appear to violate the Code of Conduct for United States Judges, which advises that judges “should refrain from political activity.”

Gorsuch was nominated to the Supreme Court roughly a year ago to replace the late Antonin Scalia. 

He was subject to a tense confirmation hearing, with Democrats nearly unanimously opposing his nomination. The Senate ultimately confirmed him in April with a 54-45 vote.

Republicans used the “nuclear option” during the proceedings, changing Senate rules so that a simple majority would be enough to confirm Gorsuch.