President Donald Trump has given FBI one week to conduct investigation of the allegations that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted a woman in 1980s.
The decision comes after Senate Judiciary Committee voted along party lines in favor of the nomination of Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court after emotional testimonies from the judge and his accuser Christine Blasey Ford.
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Democrats who were opposing Trump’s pick were pushing for the investigation. On Friday two republican senators also suggested that an FBI probe should proceed further nomination procedures.
A week’s delay means Kavanaugh would not be able to take his seat with the other eight Justices when they convene on Monday.
Ford accused Kavanaugh of improper sexual behavior in in the 1980s, when they were both in high school. Her allegations only surfaced after the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings had ended, and Thursday’s testimonies revealed that Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) and her staff knew about them even as Feinstein herself failed to bring them up in her meetings with Kavanaugh.
The hearing on Thursday and the committee’s discussion on Friday saw lawmakers sparring on whether gaps in Ford’s memories were the proof of telling the truth, and if she was used as a pawn in political games. Both Ford and Kavanaugh gave emotional statements, saying the lives of their families have been ruined by the whole process.
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