Both United States senators from Kansas made clear they will support Judge Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court in a high-stakes vote that on Friday was delayed up to a week as the FBI investigates an allegation of sexual assault against him.
U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts voiced frustration with the process and “yet another” FBI investigation.
He indicated that he is unsure what else can be unearthed from an investigation and predicted that additional allegations would be made against Kavanaugh.
Christine Blasey Ford, a California psychology professor, says she attended a party with Kavanaugh in high school where he attempted to rape her. Two other women have also accused Kavanaugh of misconduct. He has categorically denied all allegations.
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“The man has had six (investigations). This has never come up before. This involves something that has never gone to court or would never go to court,” Roberts said of Kavanaugh.
“I don’t know what else we can learn and as sure as the dickens as soon as that one happened there’ll be another person out of the woodwork somewhere saying the very same things,” he said, before saying that Kavanaugh’s other accusers aren’t credible.
Roberts said Ford is credible “from the standpoint that she did experience a very bad situation.”
“As has been pointed out by a lot of people, I don’t think it was Brett Kavanaugh,” Roberts said.
No police department or judge would accept the allegations against Kavanaugh, Roberts said, also noting that the assault is alleged to have taken place 35 or 36 years ago.
He also expressed chagrin that Kavanaugh’s personal calendar from high school as well as his high school yearbook page had become public in recent days. His yearbook contains references to beer and parties as well as a description that two of Kavanaugh’s classmates have told The New York Times was sexual in nature. Kavanaugh rejects that interpretation.
“And we’re talking about what a kid’s calendar (says) or what people write in their yearbook? I don’t think I have my Holtonian yearbook, thank God,” Roberts said.
Roberts made the comments in an interview less than an hour after Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake called for an FBI investigation of Kavanaugh.
Sen. Jerry Moran said Thursday night that he will vote to confirm Kavanaugh. He made his statement after a marathon hearing where Ford and Kavanaugh testified.
“As I stated after meeting with Judge Kavanaugh in August, he is a well-qualified nominee with a deep respect for the Constitution, and I still believe that to be true,” Moran said on Twitter.
A spokeswoman said Friday afternoon that Moran supports the committee’s decision.
The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Kavanaugh’s nomination to the full Senate on Friday on a 11-10 vote.
President Donald Trump said he found Ford, who accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her in high school, “a very credible witness.”
Trump told reporters Friday at the White House that he thought Ford’s testimony Thursday to the Senate Judiciary Committee “was very compelling” and that “she looks like a very fine woman, very fine woman.”
But Trump also says he though Kavanaugh’s adamant denial “really something that I hadn’t seen before. It was incredible.”
Trump called it “an incredible moment I think in the history of our country.”
Contributing: the Associated Press
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