Lawyers for two of the women who have accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault yesterday expressed their displeasure with the way the FBI probe into Kavanaugh is being conducted. They said they believe the FBI is not conducting a thorough investigation.
It is clear that Senate Republican leaders are focused on holding a Senate vote on Kavanaugh’s confirmation later this week. As a result, they limited the scope of the probe as well as the amount of time available for the FBI to do its work.
Dr. Christine Ford’s lawyers sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray demanding to know why the FBI has not interviewed their client. They said she has offered to cooperate in the FBI’s reopened background investigation of Kavanaugh but she has been ignored.
Also Tuesday, John Clune, the attorney for Deborah Ramirez, said he has seen no evidence that the FBI has contacted any of the additional witnesses she told them about. Ramirez gave the FBI the names of 20 people who may be able to back up her story that Kavanaugh exposed himself to her when they were Yale freshmen. Ramirez was interviewed by the FBI on Sunday and gave FBI agents the witnesses’ contact numbers.
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Clune said he is very unhappy that the bureau “is not conducting — or not being permitted to conduct — a serious investigation.”
The FBI investigation is crucial to win the support of several wavering senators — including three Republicans — for Kavanaugh’s nomination. Republican senators Jeff Flake, Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins initially requested the additional FBI work to answer many questions about Kavanaugh that were left unanswered during his Senate testimony. If they do not believe that the FBI investigation was accurate and thorough then it is not clear what they will do.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters that “I can tell you with certainty” that the FBI report will be finished and the Senate will vote this week. He also said “it shouldn’t take long” for his colleagues to read the report.
“That will not be used as another reason for delay, I can tell you that,” McConnell said.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said he wants senators to receive an FBI briefing on its findings 24 hours in advance of the first procedural vote on Kavanaugh, which could happen very soon.
When Trump ordered the FBI investigation last week he set a deadline of this Friday for the probe’s completion.
If Trump and McConnell have their way, the sham FBI investigation will be wrapped up soon before all the witnesses have been interviewed. This will allow them (possibly) to have a quick vote on Kavanaugh’s confirmation.
The only question that remains is whether or not Jeff Flake, Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins will go along with the sham or not. If they are people of integrity they will see through what has happened and refuse to vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court.
I am a lifelong Democrat with a passion for social justice and progressive issues. I have degrees in writing, economics and law from the University of Iowa.
