This has turned into straight bare knuckled politics….
Nothing more or less….
Ultimately, the only reason the White House was forced to reopen the background check on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was because the testimony of his accuser, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, was simply too compelling to dismiss. Even Donald Trump, who launched personal attacks on Dr. Blasey Ford before she testified about her sexual assault allegation against Kavanaugh, was reduced to admitting “she was a very credible witness” after last week’s hearing. So credible, in fact, that Republicans didn’t have the votes to confirm Kavanaugh without reopening an investigation into the “current credible allegations” against him, per the Senate Judiciary Committee.
One might think then that allegations made by the woman whose testimony compelled Republicans to reopen an inquiry they were desperate to avoid would be relevant to that investigation. But as of Tuesday evening, that was clearly not the case, according to Dr. Blasey Ford’s attorneys.
“This afternoon, we learned of media reports that the FBI does not intend to interview either Dr. Ford or Judge Kavanaugh,” Debra Katz and Michael Bromwich, wrote to FBI Director Christopher Wray and FBI General Counsel Dana Boente. “It is inconceivable that the FBI could conduct a thorough investigation of Dr. Ford’s allegations without interviewing her, Judge Kavanaugh, or the witnesses we have identified in our letters to you.”….
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As of Tuesday evening, the FBI was reportedly expected to finish this sham of an investigation late Tuesday or Wednesday morning.
Meanwhile, a former Assistant Director of the FBI, told the Atlantic’s Natasha Bertrand agents are concerned the limited inquiry will be misrepresented and used to exonerate Kavanaugh.
“I sense a degree of frustration inside” the bureau “with the public’s expectation that the FBI is conducting a full court press when they’re not being permitted to do so,” Figliuzzi said. There is also “increasing concern that the White House and Senate will use the FBI as an excuse to say, ‘this has been fully investigated,’” when it actually hasn’t been….
More from Daily Kos….
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More than 40 people with potential information into the sexual misconduct allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh have not been contacted by the FBI, according to multiple sources that include friends of both the nominee and his accusers.
The bureau is expected to wrap up its expanded background investigation as early as Wednesday into two allegations against Kavanaugh — one from Christine Blasey Ford and the other from Deborah Ramirez.
But sources close to the investigation, as well as a number of people who know those involved, say the FBI has not contacted dozens of potential corroborators or character witnesses…..