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Brett Kavanaugh: leading Republican claims FBI report 'found no hint of misconduct' | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
A top Senate Republican has said the confidential FBI report on claims that Brett Kavanaugh sexually abused women three decades ago “found no hint of misconduct” by the supreme court nominee. | |
Senate judiciary committee chairman Chuck Grassley made his remarks and urged his colleagues to confirm the conservative judge in a written statement hours after the delivery of the FBI document to Congress in the early hours of Thursday morning. | |
Grassley said: “There’s nothing in it that we didn’t already know.” | |
Basing his comment on a briefing he said he’d received from committee aides, he said: “These uncorroborated accusations have been unequivocally and repeatedly rejected by Judge Kavanaugh, and neither the judiciary committee nor the FBI could locate any third parties who can attest to any of the allegations.” | |
He added: “This investigation found no hint of misconduct.” | |
The committee’s ranking Democrat, Senator Dianne Feinstein, hit back at Grassley’s claims and criticised the FBI report as incomplete. She suggested the FBI may have been constrained by White House. | |
Democrats have complained that the FBI’s reopening of its Kavanaugh background check following testimony from Christine Blasey Ford last week has been far too limited and omitted contact with crucial potential witnesses. Ford has accused Kavanaugh of attempting to rape her when they were teenagers in high school. | |
Mitch McConnell, the Republican Senate majority leader, has already started a process that will produce a crucial test vote, or cloture vote, in his polarized chamber on Friday on Kavanaugh’s nomination. Should Republicans get the majority of votes they need, that would set up a decisive rollcall on his confirmation, likely over the weekend. | |
The limited FBI investigation has been placed in a secure basement room where the Senate’s 100 members is being given access. | |
The report was delivered to Capitol Hill at 2.30am with a statement from the White House saying it was “fully confident the Senate will vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh to the supreme court.” | The report was delivered to Capitol Hill at 2.30am with a statement from the White House saying it was “fully confident the Senate will vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh to the supreme court.” |
Grassley was first to review the FBI report, followed by ranking Democrat Dianne Feinstein, and then other colleagues. | |
No copies will be made of the report, as is standard, so senators will have to go to the room to learn what is in it. They are not supposed to disclose its contents to the public. | |
The report reviewed allegations from Deborah Ramirez, who says Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a party when both were students at Yale. | |
Kavanaugh has angrily denied all allegations of sexual misconduct. The limited FBI investigation was begun late last week when Jeff Flake, a Republican hold-out on the judiciary committee, signalled he would not confirm Kavanaugh without further checks following Ford’s testimony. | |
Trump ordered the FBI to report within a week. On Wednesday night, he reiterated his support for his nominee. “Wow, such enthusiasm and energy for Judge Brett Kavanaugh,” he tweeted. “He is a fine man and great intellect. The country is with him all the way!” | Trump ordered the FBI to report within a week. On Wednesday night, he reiterated his support for his nominee. “Wow, such enthusiasm and energy for Judge Brett Kavanaugh,” he tweeted. “He is a fine man and great intellect. The country is with him all the way!” |
Trump also claimed Kavanaugh’s embattled confirmation process was having “an incredible upward impact on voters”. | Trump also claimed Kavanaugh’s embattled confirmation process was having “an incredible upward impact on voters”. |
Republicans hold a 51-49 majority in the Senate and a simple majority is needed to advance Kavanaugh’s nomination. A handful of Republican and Democratic senators are undecided on whether to support Kavanaugh and their votes will decide whether he is confirmed. | |
In short, cloture is a way of cutting off debate and ending a filibuster on a particular issue before the US Senate – part of a multi-step process that culminates in a final vote on legislation or a nomination. | In short, cloture is a way of cutting off debate and ending a filibuster on a particular issue before the US Senate – part of a multi-step process that culminates in a final vote on legislation or a nomination. |
In the case of judge Brett Kavanaugh, the Senate Majority leader, Mitch McConnell, must first file for cloture, which will set the stage for a final vote on Kavanaugh's supreme court nomination. | In the case of judge Brett Kavanaugh, the Senate Majority leader, Mitch McConnell, must first file for cloture, which will set the stage for a final vote on Kavanaugh's supreme court nomination. |
Once McConnell files for cloture, the motion must “ripen” meaning that it cannot be voted on until a full legislative day has passed. For example, if he filed for cloture on Wednesday, a cloture vote would not take place before Friday. | Once McConnell files for cloture, the motion must “ripen” meaning that it cannot be voted on until a full legislative day has passed. For example, if he filed for cloture on Wednesday, a cloture vote would not take place before Friday. |
The cloture vote – as opposed to the final vote – is often where the real drama happens. Republicans have a narrow 51-49 majority in the Senate and could vote to invoke cloture without support from a single Democrat. If only 50 senators agree to end debate, Vice President Mike Pence would be brought in to break the tie. If the motion, fails McConnell could try again or he could opt to pull the nomination. | The cloture vote – as opposed to the final vote – is often where the real drama happens. Republicans have a narrow 51-49 majority in the Senate and could vote to invoke cloture without support from a single Democrat. If only 50 senators agree to end debate, Vice President Mike Pence would be brought in to break the tie. If the motion, fails McConnell could try again or he could opt to pull the nomination. |
Invoking cloture for supreme court nominees once required 60 votes but was lowered in 2017 to a simple majority threshold last year during the nomination fight over justice Neil Gorsuch. Sixty votes are still required to approve legislation. | Invoking cloture for supreme court nominees once required 60 votes but was lowered in 2017 to a simple majority threshold last year during the nomination fight over justice Neil Gorsuch. Sixty votes are still required to approve legislation. |
Once cloture is invoked, debate on the matter is limited to an additional 30 hours. After that, the full senate would proceed to a final vote. Lauren Gambino | Once cloture is invoked, debate on the matter is limited to an additional 30 hours. After that, the full senate would proceed to a final vote. Lauren Gambino |
Ford’s lawyers have criticised the limited scope of the re-opened investigation. They pointed out that the additional FBI background investigation did not include interviewing Ford or the witnesses they say corroborate her testimony. | Ford’s lawyers have criticised the limited scope of the re-opened investigation. They pointed out that the additional FBI background investigation did not include interviewing Ford or the witnesses they say corroborate her testimony. |
They said they were “profoundly disappointed” that those directing the probe “were not interested in seeking the truth”. | They said they were “profoundly disappointed” that those directing the probe “were not interested in seeking the truth”. |
Trump on Tuesday inflamed tensions over Kavanaugh’s nomination by mocking Ford at a Republican rally in Mississippi. | Trump on Tuesday inflamed tensions over Kavanaugh’s nomination by mocking Ford at a Republican rally in Mississippi. |
Three key Republican senators condemned Trump’s remarks. “I wish he hadn’t have done it and I just say it’s kind of appalling,” Flake told NBC. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who are seen as swing votes on the Kavanaugh nomination, also rebuked Trump. | Three key Republican senators condemned Trump’s remarks. “I wish he hadn’t have done it and I just say it’s kind of appalling,” Flake told NBC. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who are seen as swing votes on the Kavanaugh nomination, also rebuked Trump. |
The rising tensions have led to heightened security at the Capitol, with some senators using police escorts to shield them from protesters eager to confront them. Collins was escorted out of a hearing on Wednesday by three police officers. | The rising tensions have led to heightened security at the Capitol, with some senators using police escorts to shield them from protesters eager to confront them. Collins was escorted out of a hearing on Wednesday by three police officers. |
This comes as hundreds more anti-Kavanaugh demonstrators are expected to descend on the Capitol on Thursday and throughout the weekend. Another group will broadcast on a screen outside of the Capitol the Access Hollywood tape of Trump bragging about grabbing women without their consent, which was published two years ago. | |
Fresh questions have been raised about Kavanaugh’s temperament and the evidence he gave to the judiciary committee last week. Several high school and college classmates have come forward to challenge his characterisation of his teenage years and his drinking habits. | Fresh questions have been raised about Kavanaugh’s temperament and the evidence he gave to the judiciary committee last week. Several high school and college classmates have come forward to challenge his characterisation of his teenage years and his drinking habits. |
On Thursday, a letter signed by more than 1,000 law professors will be delivered to senators urging them not to confirm Kavanaugh. | |
“We regret that we feel compelled to write to you, our Senators, to provide our views that at the Senate hearings on Sept. 27, Judge Brett Kavanaugh displayed a lack of judicial temperament that would be disqualifying for any court, and certainly for elevation to the highest court of this land,” they write. | “We regret that we feel compelled to write to you, our Senators, to provide our views that at the Senate hearings on Sept. 27, Judge Brett Kavanaugh displayed a lack of judicial temperament that would be disqualifying for any court, and certainly for elevation to the highest court of this land,” they write. |
In an opinion piece for Slate, one of Kavanaugh’s roommates at Yale, James Roche, said the judge “stood up under oath and lied about his drinking and about the meaning of words in his yearbook”. | In an opinion piece for Slate, one of Kavanaugh’s roommates at Yale, James Roche, said the judge “stood up under oath and lied about his drinking and about the meaning of words in his yearbook”. |
“His willingness to lie to avoid embarrassment throws doubt on his denials about the larger questions of sexual assault,” Roche wrote, adding that he would be willing to speak to the FBI. | “His willingness to lie to avoid embarrassment throws doubt on his denials about the larger questions of sexual assault,” Roche wrote, adding that he would be willing to speak to the FBI. |
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