Photo by Gage Skidmore
After an emotional day of testimony by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Judge Brett Kavanaugh and grandstanding by primarily Democrats, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 11 to 10 along partisan lines to sent Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court out of committee.
U.S. Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ) who said he would vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh after the committee vote called for a week’s delay on the floor vote so that the FBI can conduct an investigation that is limited in time and scope.
Senator Flake is aptly named.
This change of heart occurred after protestors verbally accosted Senator Flake in an elevator, and then, apparently confronted again by Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats in an anteroom led by U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), who is a friend of his.
Reportedly, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) sides with Flake which will mean, if it is true, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell no longer has the votes to confirm Judge Kavanaugh without an investigation.
So President Donald Trump will have to direct the FBI to investigate the matter or this tanks the nomination.
The deal that was made with Flake means the FBI will be given one week to investigate the current allegations after which they will report their findings to the Senate.
People have to understand that the FBI will only perform a background check, not a criminal investigation. They can not compel anyone to talk to them. It’s unlikely they will find anything else because we only have the names that Dr. Ford provided.
Also, it is unlikely anyone’s story will change because witnesses already provided their statements under penalty of a felony. So, if they change their account, they are legally liable.
What this does is provide more time for the left to drum up additional allegations and for Democrats to then call for further investigations. An FBI investigation will not change the vote of a single Democrat save possibly U.S. Senator Joe Machin (D-WV) who may vote to confirm.