Investigation Urged Into FBI Handling Of Kavanaugh Inquiry
Some 4,500 tips into nominee's alleged misconduct apparently were never followed up
Officials in and out of the federal government want answers after a top FBI official just recently told senators that the agency received thousands of tips related to allegations of sexual misconduct against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh back in 2018 — but that Donald Trump's White House apparently failed to follow up on them as they raced to install Kavanaugh on the high court.
The FBI probe of wrongdoing on the part of Kavanaugh was initiated by senators at the time looking for answers after Christine Blasey Ford and other women came forward with stories of sexual assault perpetrated by Kavanaugh.
Kavanaugh ultimately was confirmed for his seat on the Supreme Court in October 2018 on vote of 50-48.
However, Democratic Sens Sheldon Whitehouse, of Rhode Island, and Chris Coons, of Delaware, wrote to FBI Director Christopher Wray two years ago with questions about how the investigation into Kavanaugh was conducted.
On June 30, the FBI responded to the senators, revealing new information about the investigation.
The letter said that the tip line set up for Kavanaugh’s investigation received more than 4,500 tips — and that this was the first time the bureau had set up such a line. In the letter, Assistant FBI Director Jill Tyson said the tips were provided to the Trump-era Office of White House Counsel, prompting concern that those tips may have been dismissed or under-investigated by the Trump administration as it sought to ensure Kavanaugh's confirmation to the court.
"The letter from the Department of Justice, released by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse's office today, confirms what we knew: The FBI’s investigation into Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's serious allegations about Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh's sexual misconduct was a sham and a major institutional failure,” Blasey Ford’s lawyers, Debra Katz and Lisa Banks, said in a statement to the press. “Not only did the FBI refuse to interview Dr. Ford or the corroborators listed in our letter to FBI Director Wray, it failed to act on the over 4,500 tips it received about then-nominee Kavanaugh. Instead, it handed the information over to the White House, allowing those who supported Kavanaugh to falsely claim that the FBI found no wrongdoing.”
In response, a larger group of senators — including Whitehouse and Coons — sent a fresh letter to Wray this week, looking for more answers.
“The admissions in your letter corroborate and explain numerous credible accounts by individuals and firms that they had contacted the FBI with information ‘highly relevant to . . . allegations’ of sexual misconduct by Justice Kavanaugh, only to be ignored,” the senators write in their letter sent Thursday. “If the FBI was not authorized to or did not follow up on any of the tips that it received from the tip line, it is difficult to understand the point of having a tip line at all.”
There were calls for an even more formalized probe into the handling of the FBI tips, such as by Maggie Jo Buchanan, director of Courts and Legal Reform at the Center for American Progress, a Democratic-oriented think tank in Washington DC.
“The Supreme Court plays a critical role in the life of every person in America. During Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing, serious allegations of sexual assault were brought forward that called into question the now-justice’s character and truthfulness. Today’s news strongly suggests that those in power during his hearings didn’t respect the need for a full vetting of Kavanaugh’s background nor the harms of sexual abuse,” Buchanan said. “This miscarriage of justice fails not only the many survivors across the country traumatized by the Senate’s handling of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony but also the American people writ large. Every day, far too many choose not to come forward after being assaulted because they fear they won’t be taken seriously. To improve this unacceptable reality, it is imperative that officials demonstrate they understand the seriousness of sexual abuse and are willing to hold the powerful accountable.
“We join those calling for a full and meaningful investigation into the actions of the FBI and the previous administration’s White House counsel in this matter,” she added.
Available as PDFs are:
• Senators’ letter sent yesterday;
• June 30 FBI letter to Whitehouse and Coons;
• Whitehouse and Coons August 2019 letter to Wray.
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