After viewing the FBI report detailing the investigation into decades-old allegations of sexual assault against Brett Kavanaugh, the White House announced early Thursday morning that his confirmation will proceed.
“The White House has received the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s supplemental background investigation into Judge Kavanaugh, and it is being transmitted to the Senate. With Leader McConnell’s cloture filing, Senators have been given ample time to review this seventh background investigation,” White house spokesman Raj Shah said in a statement released around 2a.m. Thursday.
“With this additional information, the White House is fully confident the Senate will vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court,” he added.
The report, which has thus far been sent only to the White House and the Senate Judiciary Committee, will be made available to the entire upper chamber on Thursday. One hour has been designated for each party to enter a secure room and review the document. It represents the culmination of an investigative effort that began Friday and included interviews with a number of Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford’s former classmates, as well as Deborah Ramirez, a Yale alumnus who claims Kavanaugh drunkenly exposed himself to her when they were freshman.
Prominent Democrats have complained in recent days that the FBI probe was insufficient due to constraints placed on investigators by the White House, which reportedly did not authorize the bureau to interview Ford and Kavanaugh.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has delivered in recent days a series of defiant speeches lambasting the minority party over their handling of the confirmation process, plans to hold a procedural vote Friday morning, while the final confirmation vote will likely occur sometime over the weekend.
President Trump seemed heartened by the release of the FBI report Wednesday evening, commenting on recent polling indicating the Kavanaugh confirmation battle has closed the previously substantial voter enthusiasm gap between the parties.
“Wow, such enthusiasm and energy for Judge Brett Kavanaugh. Look at the Energy, look at the Polls. Something very big is happening. He is a fine man and great intellect. The country is with him all the way!” he wrote on Twitter.







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