As Senate panel sets vote on Trump court pick, new controversy arises

[webfact]

As Senate panel sets vote on Trump court pick, new controversy arises

By Lawrence Hurley and Amanda Becker

 

FILE PHOTO: Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh testifies during the third day of his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., September 6, 2018. REUTERS/Alex Wroblewski

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Republican-led Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday set a vote for next week on President Donald Trump's U.S. Supreme Court pick while a Democratic senator sent unspecified new information about nominee Brett Kavanaugh to the FBI.

 

Senator Dianne Feinstein, the committee's top Democrat, said she received the information about Kavanaugh from a person she declined to identify. In a statement, Feinstein did not specify the nature of the information.

 

The New York Times, citing two people familiar with the matter, reported that the information related to "possible sexual misconduct" involving Kavanaugh and a woman when they both were in high school.

 

Feinstein said the person who provided the information "strongly requested confidentiality, declined to come forward or press the matter further, and I have honoured that decision. I have, however, referred the matter to federal investigative authorities."

 

White House spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said Kavanaugh has repeatedly been vetted by the FBI. "Not until the eve of his confirmation has Senator Feinstein or anyone raised the spectre of new 'information' about him," Kupec added.

 

An FBI spokesman confirmed the agency has received the information. "Upon receipt of the information on the night of September 12, we included it as part of Judge Kavanaugh's background file, as per the standard process," the spokesman said.

 

In a statement, the FBI confirmed receipt of the information. A person familiar with the vetting process, speaking on condition of anonymity, said no new FBI criminal investigation had been opened.

 

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Kavanaugh on the allegation.

 

"This has all the indicators of an 11th hour character assassination and a desperate attempt to delay and defeat the nomination of Judge Kavanaugh," said Carrie Severino, chief counsel of the Judicial Crisis Network, a conservative activist group that supports Trump's judicial picks.

 

Democrats have fought Kavanaugh's nomination and sought to delay his confirmation. In party-line votes, the Republican-led committee on Thursday rejected motions by Democratic senators seeking access to more documents relating to Kavanaugh's service in the White House under Republican President George W. Bush more than a decade ago.

 

The committee agreed to vote on the nomination on Sept. 20, with a final Senate confirmation vote likely by the end of the month.

"I don't understand the rush to judgement. I really do not," Feinstein said.

 

Kavanaugh, a conservative federal appeals court judge nominated by Trump to the lifetime position on the high court, made no major missteps in two days of questioning by senators during his confirmation hearing last week.

 

Democrats have said they want to learn more about whether Kavanaugh played a significant role in controversial policy debates in the Bush White House, including those relating to the treatment of detainees held after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Kavanaugh worked in the White House from 2001 to 2006.

 

Trump's fellow Republicans control the Senate by a narrow margin. With no sign yet of any Republicans planning to vote against Kavanaugh, he seems poised to win confirmation despite Democratic opposition.

 

Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, targeted by Democrats as a possible swing vote, came under new pressure from a group in her home state of Alaska to oppose Kavanaugh. The Alaska Federation of Natives, the state's largest indigenous organisation, issued a statement condemning Kavanaugh's positions on indigenous rights.

 

(Reporting by Lawrence Hurley and Amanda Becker; Additional reporting by Yereth Rosen in Anchorage, Alaska; Editing by Will Dunham)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-09-14

[zaphod reborn]

This is why Rod Rosenstein had a front-row seat for Kavanaugh's Senate confirmation hearings.

[DoctorG]

The FBI have just filed it. End of story.

If it was a real event then the accusation should have gone to Maryland (?) PD, not the Feds.

[blazes]

This is scraping the barrel with a vengeance....

 

This OP does not mention that the supposedly alleged inappropriate thingy was as innocuous as it can get:  

 

A source who said they were briefed on the contents of the letter said it described an incident involving Kavanaugh and a woman that took place when both were 17 years old and at a party. According to the source, Kavanaugh and a male friend had locked her in a room against her will, making her feel threatened, but she was able to get out of the room. 

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/sep/13/brett-kavanaugh-dianne-feinstein-confidential-letter

 

It really beggars the imagination to wonder how anyone could bring up something so trivial after some 30 plus years.   The #metoo tribe strikes again.

 

[Chomper Higgot]

11 minutes ago, blazes said:

This is scraping the barrel with a vengeance....

 

This OP does not mention that the supposedly alleged inappropriate thingy was as innocuous as it can get:  

A source who said they were briefed on the contents of the letter said it described an incident involving Kavanaugh and a woman that took place when both were 17 years old and at a party. According to the source, Kavanaugh and a male friend had locked her in a room against her will, making her feel threatened, but she was able to get out of the room. 

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/sep/13/brett-kavanaugh-dianne-feinstein-confidential-letter

 

It really beggars the imagination to wonder how anyone could bring up something so trivial after some 30 plus years.   The #metoo tribe strikes again.

 

A source claims?

 

[DoctorG]

12 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

A source claims?

 

I know you are easily confused but Lefties usually just believe everything that comes from The Guardian, so you should be asking them who the source might be.  ?

[spidermike007]

We will never really know, as a paranoid, insular, protectionist, obstructionist, partisan senate is blocking thousands upon thousands of documents from being released. So much for impartiality and fair play. 

[Enoon]

1 hour ago, DoctorG said:

I know you are easily confused but Lefties usually just believe everything that comes from The Guardian, so you should be asking them who the source might be.  ?

 

Lefties, Righties, Centries.......all "believe" whatever comes out of "their" newspaper.

 

Because it is the job of "their" newspaper to agree with them and thus secure their readership and enable the owners to sell advertising space.

 

That is their real job.....to sell advertising space.

 

They do that by agreeing with you (rule number one in making friends) and sharing your opinion.

 

That's why the "Mail" never disappoints you.

 

I say the Mail because if you were a Telegraph reader you would, perhaps, know that was the game.

 

Thing about a lot of Guardian readers is that they do know the game.

 

But you still think you're reading the "truth".

 

 

 

 

[Silurian]

Yet another sex offender on the Supreme Court? I thought Clarence Thomas already held this position. Leave it to the Republicans to always choose the most upstanding judges for Supreme Court justices. 

 

[seajae]

hahaha, only an idiot or a democrat voter would believe this, happened in high school, no one heard anything about it till now, what a joke. Same as the female that claimed trump sexually assaulted her on a plane years ago, only problem was the seat designs back then would not allow it to happen as she claimed, democrat harpies lying to give them something to whinge about, shows how pathetic they are, even the fbi did nothing about it

 

[Jonnapat]

2 hours ago, DoctorG said:

I know you are easily confused but Lefties usually just believe everything that comes from The Guardian, so you should be asking them who the source might be.  ?

The Guardian might be a centre left newspaper but it's credibility is far greater than the rest of the right wing rags in the UK.

As for Kavanaugh I've watched a number of clips from the hearings and nobody could get a straight answer from him.

Trump's man and sleazy with it.

[roobaa01]

35 yrs ago a juvenile delict at high school brought up in a secret letter by a secret person , anyway the fbi dismissed the letter and referred it to the white. imo how low does democratic smearing go and is the new american left .....the agent of hate ???

 

wbr

roobaa01

 

 

[Tug]

He will get in but take heart it’s probably Donald’s last hurrah and will probably keep him from doing time in prison 

[Morch]

1 hour ago, roobaa01 said:

35 yrs ago a juvenile delict at high school brought up in a secret letter by a secret person , anyway the fbi dismissed the letter and referred it to the white. imo how low does democratic smearing go and is the new american left .....the agent of hate ???

 

wbr

roobaa01

 

 

 

And, of course, you had the same reservations and concerns when Republicans took up such methods....Birther rings a bell? But sure, by all means, do go on about "agent of hate".

 

[Chomper Higgot]

So far we only have unsubstantiated reports of what may have been reported to the FBI.

 

DoctorG put his finger on something but didn’t think it through.

 

As he rightly spotted, if the letter to the FBI were referring simply to a sexual assault, as serious as that still is it would be dealt with by the respective State prosecutor.

 

The good Doctor failed to understand that when the FBI ‘file a case report’ they aren’t putting it a draw never to be read again, they are commencing an inquiry.

 

A few things to note:

 

Senator Dianne Feinstein chose to file the report to the FBI, and the FBI accepted the report.

 

Democrats spent a great deal of time during Kavanaugh’s hearing pressing him to make very clear statements with respect to his knowledge of people and incidents - they continued to so until they received catagorical denials from Kavanaugh.

 

Now comes Senator Dianne Feinstein’s filing at the FBI.

 

As DoctorG points out, it’s not a simple report of a sexual attack/sexual misconduct, crimes dealt with at State level.

 

The report to the FBI must be in relation to a federal crime.

 

My guess - Perjury before the Senate.

[Trouble]

Last ditch effort to smear the man.  The girl was locked in a room but got out?  How is that sexual misconduct? Sounds like a prank to me, if it happened. If every adult was smeared for something they did as a teenager, no one would could be a judge, politician, CEO or postal worker.  This whole thing with Kavanaugh is showing the complete lack of civility in Congress. I say shoot the whole lot of Congressmen and Senators and start over, put term limits on and bring citizen representatives to Congress. We don't need these people. 

[blazes]

3 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

So far we only have unsubstantiated reports of what may have been reported to the FBI.

 

DoctorG put his finger on something but didn’t think it through.

 

As he rightly spotted, if the letter to the FBI were referring simply to a sexual assault, as serious as that still is it would be dealt with by the respective State prosecutor.

 

The good Doctor failed to understand that when the FBI ‘file a case report’ they aren’t putting it a draw never to be read again, they are commencing an inquiry.

 

A few things to note:

 

Senator Dianne Feinstein chose to file the report to the FBI, and the FBI accepted the report.

 

Democrats spent a great deal of time during Kavanaugh’s hearing pressing him to make very clear statements with respect to his knowledge of people and incidents - they continued to so until they received catagorical denials from Kavanaugh.

 

Now comes Senator Dianne Feinstein’s filing at the FBI.

 

As DoctorG points out, it’s not a simple report of a sexual attack/sexual misconduct, crimes dealt with at State level.

 

The report to the FBI must be in relation to a federal crime.

 

My guess - Perjury before the Senate.

 

As usual, total confusion reigns in your mind, Chomper.  You have no evidence whatsoever that a crime has been committed, having obliterated from your mind the "locked in a room" titbit that the Grauniad offered.  NOTHING else has been offered. You are dealing in innuendo,  not even hearsay, and then, astonishingly, you jump to the conclusion that he has committed perjury before a group of experts in the art of lying, the Senate Judiciary Committee.

 

But, hey, I must rebuke myself for being such a nitwit in even attempting to unravel the strands of your wool-gathering.

[roobaa01]

fbi would follow up the smearing  letter allegations upon white house requests only. the committee chairman stated, nomination of honorable kavanaugh would go as scheduled 200918 . 65 women stepped forward to support the new supreme judge kavanaugh. hopefully hillary, feinstein and her democratic smearing club get their noses stubbed in the midterms.

 

wbr

roobaa01

[mtls2005]

I would imagine that many republicans, and members of the Trump administration, are praying Ronan Farrow doesn't drop an article on Kavanaugh before his confirmation.

 

There are some 'leading indicators' that others have come forward on Kavanaugh's unsavory predilections (plural), to those in the print media.

 

There is also a named witness to the original sexual assault, his buddy who was asked to turn the music up so no one could hear the girl scream. But he's claiming he doesn't remember what happened.

 

How hard could it be to find a reasonable, clean nominee? The incessant pushing of Kavanaugh reaks of swamp odor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jingthing]

I am somewhat familiar with the rapey culture of such elite east coast "prep" schools in the U.S. during the time Kavanaugh attended. No, I didn't attend but I've met a number of people that have. Such things happened commonly back then. Part of the school culture. So it's not exactly shocking if Kavanaugh was involved. Decades before the me too thing. But if the victim refuses to identify herself, I just can't see that the charge can go anywhere, before or after confirmation. Yes, tragically, I think he will be confirmed. 

[Jingthing]

51 minutes ago, roobaa01 said:

fbi would follow up the smearing  letter allegations upon white house requests only. the committee chairman stated, nomination of honorable kavanaugh would go as scheduled 200918 . 65 women stepped forward to support the new supreme judge kavanaugh. hopefully hillary, feinstein and her democratic smearing club get their noses stubbed in the midterms.

 

wbr

roobaa01

Hillary isn't running. 

Feinstein will probably be reelected in the Senate yet again and even if she isn't the winner will be a more progressive democrat, Kevin de Leon.

There is no political downside to Feinstein for what she did. The opposite actually as her challenger is to her left.

 

Will it change anything? Probably not. 

[roobaa01]

26 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Hillary isn't running. 

Feinstein will probably be reelected in the Senate yet again and even if she isn't the winner will be a more progressive democrat, Kevin de Leon.

There is no political downside to Feinstein for what she did. The opposite actually as her challenger is to her left.

 

Will it change anything? Probably not. 

imo will the latest democratic smear impact the midterms for  it will be damaging to the democrats in general accumulated by the fisa steel, carter case.

 

wbr

roobaa01

[Jingthing]

imo will the latest democratic smear impact the midterms for  it will be damaging to the democrats in general accumulated by the fisa steel, carter case.
 
wbr
roobaa01

Foxlandia

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[GinBoy2]

You know what?

If Clarence Thomas, back in the day when there really was a lot less of this toxic hyper partisanship in the Senate could get confirmed, with Anita Hill actually coming forward and testifying!

An anonymous accuser really, Oh come on!

Confirmation will happen

[mcambl61]

An the left once again shows their lack of integrity and honesty. All the while slamming others for what they are doing. 

 

No hypocrisy here... Move on 

[Jingthing]

Well, the woman has now (under pressure) outed herself and now it's getting a little more real. She is characterizing it as an attempted RAPE and there is documentation of it to a counselor in 2012. The woman is now a respected, accomplished academic. 

 

Still probably won't derail Cavanaugh but maybe it should? 

[blazes]

4 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Well, the woman has now (under pressure) outed herself and now it's getting a little more real. She is characterizing it as an attempted RAPE and there is documentation of it to a counselor in 2012. The woman is now a respected, accomplished academic. 

 

Still probably won't derail Cavanaugh but maybe it should? 

 

"A respected, accomplished academic"....that's an oxymoron, surely?

[Morch]

1 hour ago, blazes said:

 

"A respected, accomplished academic"....that's an oxymoron, surely?

 

Maybe down in hick town it is.

[Thakkar]

On 9/14/2018 at 2:32 PM, blazes said:

This is scraping the barrel with a vengeance....

 

This OP does not mention that the supposedly alleged inappropriate thingy was as innocuous as it can get:  

 

A source who said they were briefed on the contents of the letter said it described an incident involving Kavanaugh and a woman that took place when both were 17 years old and at a party. According to the source, Kavanaugh and a male friend had locked her in a room against her will, making her feel threatened, but she was able to get out of the room. 

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/sep/13/brett-kavanaugh-dianne-feinstein-confidential-letter

 

It really beggars the imagination to wonder how anyone could bring up something so trivial after some 30 plus years.   The #metoo tribe strikes again.

 

Michelle Goldberg (@michelleinbklyn)

9/17/18, 5:39 AM

The Central Park 5 -- who were innocent -- were 14, 14, 15, 15 and 16 when Trump called for them to be executed.

[mcambl61]

no real evidence but it must be true if it is against a conservative.

 

they have done this three times and it is always from the left.

 

no coincidences here