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F.B.I. Completes Interview of Mark Judge, Kavanaugh Friend F.B.I. to Complete Inquiry Wednesday With Vote Coming This Week
(35 minutes later)
WASHINGTON — The F.B.I. has completed its interview of Mark Judge, a high school friend of Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, his lawyer said on Tuesday. Mr. Judge has in the past said he has no recollection of an attempted rape by Judge Kavanaugh. WASHINGTON — The F.B.I. is expected to complete its investigation into allegations of sexual assault against Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh and deliver the results to the Senate as early as Wednesday, and Republican leaders said Tuesday that they expect to vote on the nomination this week.
“We’ll have an F.B.I. report this week, and we’ll have a vote this week,” Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, told reporters after the Republicans’ weekly policy luncheon on Tuesday. But Mr. McConnell would not say whether that would be a final vote, or a procedural vote allowing the Senate to begin debate.
Once the investigation is completed, the F.B.I. will send reports about its interviews to the Senate, where members will have a chance to review them. Several Republicans — including Senator John Cornyn of Texas, the No. 2 Republican — said Tuesday that they would like to see the findings made public in some form.
“People are not going to be satisfied until some public statement about what the F.B.I. supplemental background investigation shows,” Mr. Cornyn said.
The F.B.I. has already completed its interview of Mark Judge, the high school friend of Judge Kavanaugh whom Christine Blasey Ford said was in the room as she was assaulted, his lawyer said on Tuesday. Mr. Judge has in the past said he has no recollection of an attempted rape by Judge Kavanaugh.
Barbara Van Gelder, the lawyer, said in a statement that “Mr. Judge completed his F.B.I. interview. We are not commenting on the questions the F.B.I. asked Mr. Judge.”Barbara Van Gelder, the lawyer, said in a statement that “Mr. Judge completed his F.B.I. interview. We are not commenting on the questions the F.B.I. asked Mr. Judge.”
Christine Blasey Ford, a California research psychologist, testified in a Senate hearing last week that Judge Kavanaugh tried unsuccessfully to rape her during a high school party while Mr. Judge watched. Judge Kavanaugh, who is President Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court, angrily denied the accusation. Dr. Blasey, a California research psychologist, testified in a Senate hearing last week that Judge Kavanaugh tried unsuccessfully to rape her during a high school party while Mr. Judge watched. Judge Kavanaugh, who is President Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court, angrily denied the accusation.
Three Republican senators have refused to allow Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination to move forward until the F.B.I. conducted an additional inquiry into Judge Kavanaugh’s behavior, including an in-person interview with Mr. Judge.Three Republican senators have refused to allow Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination to move forward until the F.B.I. conducted an additional inquiry into Judge Kavanaugh’s behavior, including an in-person interview with Mr. Judge.
[Struggling to catch up on the news with Brett Kavanaugh and the FBI investigation? Here’s one place to catch up.]
An author, filmmaker and journalist who has written for conservative publications, Mr. Judge was the subject of numerous questions during last week’s testimony of Dr. Blasey and Judge Kavanaugh.An author, filmmaker and journalist who has written for conservative publications, Mr. Judge was the subject of numerous questions during last week’s testimony of Dr. Blasey and Judge Kavanaugh.
Dr. Blasey said that Judge Kavanaugh and Mr. Judge “were drunkenly laughing during the attack. They seemed to be having a very good time,” adding that “Mark seemed ambivalent, at times urging Brett on and at times telling him to stop. A couple of times I made eye contact with Mark and thought he might try to help me, but he did not.”Dr. Blasey said that Judge Kavanaugh and Mr. Judge “were drunkenly laughing during the attack. They seemed to be having a very good time,” adding that “Mark seemed ambivalent, at times urging Brett on and at times telling him to stop. A couple of times I made eye contact with Mark and thought he might try to help me, but he did not.”
Mr. Judge has disputed her account. In a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, he said that “I do not recall the events described by Dr. Ford in her testimony before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee today. I never saw Brett act in the manner Dr. Ford describes.”Mr. Judge has disputed her account. In a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, he said that “I do not recall the events described by Dr. Ford in her testimony before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee today. I never saw Brett act in the manner Dr. Ford describes.”
In an earlier interview with The New York Times before Dr. Blasey’s name was publicly known, Mr. Judge said he never saw an encounter like the one she alleged.In an earlier interview with The New York Times before Dr. Blasey’s name was publicly known, Mr. Judge said he never saw an encounter like the one she alleged.
[Here’s what we know about Brett Kavanaugh’s high school friend, Mark Judge]
“I never saw anything like that,” he said in the interview. “The way it was described is even bizarre, about turning up the music and all this other stuff. It’s no situation I recall ever being in.”“I never saw anything like that,” he said in the interview. “The way it was described is even bizarre, about turning up the music and all this other stuff. It’s no situation I recall ever being in.”
Mr. Judge has also been mentioned by Julie Swetnick, another of Judge Kavanaugh’s accusers. Ms. Swetnick has said Judge Kavanaugh and Mr. Judge both attended parties in high school where women were gang raped. She accused the men of being severely drunk and said she saw Judge Kavanaugh be physically aggressive toward women.Mr. Judge has also been mentioned by Julie Swetnick, another of Judge Kavanaugh’s accusers. Ms. Swetnick has said Judge Kavanaugh and Mr. Judge both attended parties in high school where women were gang raped. She accused the men of being severely drunk and said she saw Judge Kavanaugh be physically aggressive toward women.
Mr. Judge and Judge Kavanaugh have both forcefully denied Ms. Swetnick’s allegations.Mr. Judge and Judge Kavanaugh have both forcefully denied Ms. Swetnick’s allegations.