Last updated on October 1st, 2018 at 04:29 am
If you thought the shenanigans surrounding Brett Kavanaugh‘s confirmation process ended yesterday after GOP Sen. Jeff Flake delayed the vote by calling for an FBI investigation, you were wrong.
According to a new report from NBC News, the White House already appears to be obstructing the inquiry into the allegations against Kavanaugh by “limiting the scope of the FBI’s investigation” so not all of the women or witnesses are interviewed.
More from the troubling report:
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While the FBI will examine the allegations of Christine Blasey Ford and Deborah Ramirez, the bureau has not been permitted to investigate the claims of Julie Swetnick, who has accused Kavanaugh of engaging in sexual misconduct at parties while he was a student at Georgetown Preparatory School in the 1980s, those people familiar with the investigation told NBC News. A White House official confirmed that Swetnick’s claims will not be pursued as part of the reopened background investigation into Kavanaugh.
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Instead of investigating Swetnick’s claims, the White House counsel’s office has given the FBI a list of witnesses they are permitted to interview, according to several people who discussed the parameters on the condition of anonymity. They characterized the White House instructions as a significant constraint on the FBI investigation and caution that such a limited scope, while not unusual in normal circumstances, may make it difficult to pursue additional leads in a case in which a Supreme Court nominee has been accused of sexual assault.
In other words, the scope of the investigation into the first two accusers – Dr. Ford and Ramirez – will be severely limited by the White House, and an inquiry into the explosive allegations from Julie Swetnick will be ignored altogether.
Also important: When NBC News notes that “the White House counsel’s office” will be telling the FBI which witnesses they’re allowed to interview, that means Don McGahn is calling the shots.
McGahn is essentially the man in charge of the White House effort to push through Kavanaugh‘s nomination.
Like the committee process, this investigation is shaping up to be a sham
While Friday’s delay in the floor vote and the initial rumblings about the FBI investigation were a positive development in what has been a depressing week in American politics, Saturday’s report that the White House is obstructing key parts of the inquiry should serve as a reminder to everybody that this administration will stop at nothing to confirm an accused sexual predator to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The White House and its Republican allies in Congress never wanted this investigation to begin with. They didn’t want the truth to come out. Now that it’s been thrust upon them, they are doing everything in their power to make it as ineffective as possible.
We’ve seen this same type of obstruction throughout Robert Mueller‘s special counsel investigation, so why should an FBI investigation into Donald Trump‘s Supreme Court nominee be any different?
As Sen. Kamala Harris said on Saturday, “Outrageous. The White House should not limit or interfere with the FBI investigation in any way.”
If they continue to do so, it is up to the Republican moderates who spurred this investigation to hold them accountable – but don’t hold your breath on that one.
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Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.
