Over the weekend, Chad Ludington, a college professor, said that he would deliver a statement to the Federal Bureau of Investigation field office in Raleigh, North Carolina, claiming that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh lied when he testified before Congress that he was not a heavy drinker.
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But Sanders argued that Trump was simply pointing out gaps in Ford’s testimony that had also been noted by sex crimes prosecutor Rachel Mitchell, who was hired by Republican senators to question her during the hearing.
Kavanaugh has denied the allegations.
Amid criticism from key Republican senators, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders defended President Donald Trump for mocking Christine Blasey Ford during a rally Tuesday.
“A couple of times I made eye contact with Mark and thought he might try to help me, but he did not”, she said.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, Mr Trump said: “My whole life I’ve heard, “you’re innocent until proven guilty”, but now you’re guilty until proven innocent”.
Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, ranking member of the committee, released a statement Wednesday afternoon saying the lack of interviews, including with witnesses identified by Kavanaugh’s second accuser Deborah Ramirez, “raises serious concerns that this is not a credible investigation and begs the question: What other restrictions has the White House placed on the FBI?”
The FBI is expected to send Congress a report on its revived sexual harassment investigation of Brett Kavanaugh as soon as Wednesday afternoon, Republican senators said of the pivotal document that could make or break his Supreme Court nomination.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, talks on a cellphone in a hallway outside of a meeting of Senate Republicans with Vice President Mike Pence, Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2018, on Capitol Hill in Washington.
The FBI has reopened a background check on the Supreme Court nominee, but the probe is narrowly focused, top officials said in interviews on Sunday.
In his testimony to the judiciary committee Thursday, Kavanaugh denied ever blacking out from drinking.
Trump initially opposed such an investigation as allegations began mounting but relented and ordered one on Friday. ‘I don’t know.’ What neighborhood was it? Writing in all capital letters, Trump said when he goes to political rallies, which are organised by Republicans, he sees that voters are angry at the “vicious and despicable” way Democrats are treating his nominee.
“It is truth that is at stake, and I believe that the ability to speak the truth, even when it does not reflect well upon oneself, is a paramount quality we seek in our nation’s most powerful judges”.
“I don’t think so. This is not a man that said that he was flawless with respect to alcohol”.
Senate Majority Mitch McConnell has said the Senate will hold a confirmation vote for Kavanaugh this week. Judge, Smyth and Keyser say they don’t recall the incident described by Ford.
The votes of the three Republicans and those of red-state Democrats Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota will largely determine whether Kavanaugh is confirmed.
The third woman, Julie Swetnick, accused Kavanaugh and Judge of excessive drinking and inappropriate treatment of women in the early 1980s, among other accusations.
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“It is up to me, but I’m instructing them (FBI) as per what I feel the Senate wants”, Trump said.
