U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement on Tuesday afternoon about the supplemental FBI investigation into Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court. Senate Democrats have complained about the limited scope of the investigation and have called it ‘a farce.’
The FBI conducts background investigations in accordance with the agency’s standard operating procedures, and it has done so six previous times for Judge Kavanaugh. I’m confident that the FBI agents tasked with this responsibility will not succumb to public political pressure or politicians telling the agency how to do its job. Respectfully, the career public servants and professionals at the FBI know what they’re doing and how best to conduct a background investigation. The FBI’s business should be carried out independent of political or partisan considerations. I hope my Democratic colleagues do not attempt to interfere in that process.
President Donald Trump authorized a supplementary background investigation into accusations made against Kavanaugh after U.S. Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ) called for one last Friday after the Senate Judiciary Committee voted his nomination out of committee.
According to a deal that Flake made with U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) the FBI investigation is to be limited to current accusations and end on Friday. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) pledged that a Senate vote will take place on Kavanaugh’s nomination before the week’s end.
