The Reverend Robert Schenck appeared before the Democratic-led House Judiciary Committee after telling the New York Times that he learned about the Burwell v. Hobby Lobby ruling weeks before its public announcement from a conservative ally who dined with her husband at the home of Justice Samuel Alito and his wife.Schenck said he learned about the ruling ahead of time after launching an influence campaign dubbed "Operation Higher Court" in which he recruited wealthy couples to serve as "stealth missionaries" to get close to the court's conservative justices."Our overarching goals were to gain insights into the conservative justices' thinking and to shore up their resolve to render solid, unapologetic opinions, particularly against abortion," he testified under subpoena.Schenck said he only decided to speak to the media about the 2014 incident after a draft copy of the eventual ruling in June overturning the landmark 1973 Roe v Wade decision that had legalized abortion nationwide was leaked to Politico."I believe we pushed the boundaries of Christian ethics and compromised the high court's promise to administer equal justice," Schenck said."