Trump Administration Shielded Kavanaugh From Full FBI Investigation, New Report Finds
Kavanaugh Confirmation Misconduct Allegations
Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse summarized a new report about how the Trump administration squelched any real FBI investigation into several serious allegations of sexual assault made against now-SCOTUS Justice Brett Kavanaugh That all came out during Kavanaugh’s contentious Senate confirmation process in 2018, when two women (one from high school, one from college) alleged that he sexually assaulted them.
Dishonest Claims Regarding the Inquiry
Both the Trump White House and FBI lied to public and Senate, new report claims They lied by saying the FBI had done a full, thorough investigation of the charges. []. In fact, according to Whitehouse’s investigation, the FBI work done was minor and strip-mined by the White House toward an end foregone.
Some of the key allegations against Kavanaugh:
Kavanaugh was accused of sexual assault by Professor Ford, who says the judge assaulted her when they were in high school together. The second woman, Deborah Ramirez, accused him of pulling down his pants and spreading his penis in a drunken dormitory party at Yale. Kavanaugh has denied all the allegations.
The Role of the Senate Judicial Committee
The Senate Judiciary Committee later said it would conduct a supplemental FBI background investigation before the full Senate votes on Kavanaugh’s nomination — after Ford testified publicly about her claims. Nevertheless, Kavanaugh squeaked through the Senate on a 50-48 vote amid extra scrutiny after what Whitehouse said was a “sham” investigation and ultimately booty for Senate Republicans.
Investigative Challenges And Results
After Kavanaugh was confirmed, Whitehouse and his staff began a six-year long investigation into the FBI probe. They faced substantial obstacles, resulting in months of stalling by the executive branch and answers to questions that were insufficient Whitehouse said he was was going to “keep digging, for however long it took” in his vow not to abandon the investigation.
A Flawed Investigation
The report says the FBI supplemental investigation “consisted primarily of witness and accused-applicant interviews executed by field agents, but not a single one was in-person” and that many critical witnesses were ignored entirely — namely, both Ford and Kavanaugh. The FBI interviewed neither Ford nor Kavanaugh. The bureau did not bring her in for an interview despite repeated requests from Ford’s attorney that the agency do so, a top law enforcement official testified last year. Likewise, Ramirez’s lawyer gave the FBI a list of possible witnesses to which it did not speak.
Political Response to the Studies
The results are especially important because the senators cited the investigation as a rationale for voting to confirm Kavanaugh. This “thorough investigation” was previously described by Republican Senator Susan Collins, as carried out by the FBI during that week. But Whitehouse’s investigation indicates that the administration’s mandate constrained the inquiry.
Kavanaugh Confirmed; Trump Says He Is Willing to Be RESTRAINT
President Trump said at the height of the furor that the FBI would be given “free rein” to investigate those claims. But the report says the administration limited how far the FBI could look into situations. The report prompted no statement from Kavanaugh or the FBI, but Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said it was a “lame attempt to reignite an issue which was already litigated and appropriately resolved:, Brett Kavanaugh became Associate Justice of the.”.
Conclusion: The Debate Goes On
The report calls into serious question the credibility of the confirmation process for Justice Kavanaugh, and reveals how much influence the Trump administration had over what seemed to be a limited FBI investigation. As the controversy unfolds, this remains to all intents and purposes an epochal moment for Kavanaugh — and the Supreme Court.