A former conservative Christian lobbyist testified before a House Judiciary Committee panel Thursday, detailing how the far-right group Faith and Action systematically lobbied conservative Supreme Court members, leading to the alleged 2014 leak by Justice Samuel Alito of the landmark Hobby Lobby ruling before it was announced. The court ruled in favor of the craft store chain, which argued it could deny covering the cost of birth control to workers, citing religious freedom. This is Rev. Robert Schenck.

Rev. Robert Schenck: “Operation Higher Court involved my recruitment of wealthy donors as stealth missionaries who befriended justices that shared our conservative social and religious sensibilities. … Throughout this ordeal, I’ve had to look deeply at what my cohorts and I did at the Supreme Court. I believe we pushed the boundaries of Christian ethics and compromised the high court’s promise to administer equal justice.”

The House hearing came after Schenck told The New York Times last month that a wealthy conservative donor informed him about the court’s yet-to-be-published decision after she and her husband had dinner with Alito and his wife. Alito has denied the claims.