Vermont Business Magazine All 10 Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, including Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), on Monday urged Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) to postpone Thursday’s vote on Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination, to allow the FBI to investigate Christine Blasey Ford's allegations and follow up on what they describe as Kavanaugh’s false and misleading committee testimony. Ford has accusedKavanaugh of physical and sexual assault, an accusation he vehemently denies.
The senators wrote: “As you are aware, Dr. Ford’s serious allegations were submitted to the FBI for investigation last week. Now that her story is public, it is even more important that we give the Bureau the time it needs to follow up. All Senators, regardless of party, should insist the FBI perform its due diligence and fully investigate the allegations as part of its review of Judge Kavanaugh’s background. Staff-level examination of these allegations should not go forward until the FBI’s career professionals with the requisite investigative expertise have completed their review. Once the FBI has completed its independent work, we hope that we can work together in a bipartisan manner to decide on next steps.”
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont): "Dr Ford has shown courage and deserves to be heard, to be treated with respect, and to have her detailed allegations evaluated by professionals trained on trauma-informed investigations. The integrity of our nation’s highest court is on the line. We cannot brush aside these extraordinarily serious allegations in an unseemly rush to confirm Judge Kavanaugh to a lifetime seat. Unimpeachable integrity must never be in doubt. I join my fellow Democratic senators on the Judiciary Committee to demand that any votes on this nomination be delayed until a nonpartisan evaluation is complete. We need to do right by Dr. Ford, Judge Kavanaugh, and the American people. We need to delay the vote."
LINK to letter: https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/091718kavanaughpostpone