Week Ahead: Kavanaugh FBI Investigation, NAFTA Deal And More

Arizona Senator Jeff Flake, a key figure in the battle over Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s increasingly fraught Supreme Court nomination, said Monday in Boston that the FBI should conduct a “real investigation” of sexual assault allegations leveled at the appellate jurist. “But about half of voters say Judge Brett Kavanaugh is the target of a smear campaign”, said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the QU poll.

“Unfortunately, despite having the time and opportunity to do so, Senator McConnell has refused to allow that FBI investigation”.

“I guess I want to say, ‘Thank you, ‘” Walsh said. Keyser, however, has told the Judiciary Committee that she believes Ford’s account. Many also consider the allegations a mere delay tactic by Democrats to delay a vote until after the potential “blue wave” in the November election which could give the current minority party control of the House and Senate. “We need the facts”.

The Times cites two people briefed on the matter, and also reports that the Federal Bureau of Investigation has already concluded interviews with the four witnesses its agents were originally asked to talk to, according to the two people.

On Monday, the US President said Mr Kavanaugh was a good man who had been treated unfairly, and said he believed Mr Kavanaugh did not lie about his drinking.

Charles Ludington said he made a decision to speak out because he was “deeply troubled by what has been a blatant mischaracterisation by Brett himself of his drinking at Yale”.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, taking to the Senate floor Monday afternoon, blasted Democrats for moving the “goal posts” on the allegations against Brett Kavanaugh, and declared the Senate will be voting “this week” on his confirmation.

In a separate report, NBC quoted a senior U.S. official and a second source as saying the limits imposed by the White House on the inquiry remained in place, despite Trump’s tweet.

A third woman, Deborah Ramirez, charged in a New Yorker magazine report that Kavanaugh exposed himself at a drunken dormitory party at Yale University, and shoved his penis in her face, forcing her to touch it while pushing him away.

California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the committee, called on the White House and the FBI to provide the written directive regarding the investigation’s scope. Others she says were present at the gathering in question have told investigators they do not recall such an incident – which is not the same as saying it never happened.

“We don’t want to go on a witch hunt, do we?”

But in a separate appearance on “Fox News Sunday”, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said she was unaware of a specific witness list from the White House. ‘Out of respect for the integrity of the process, we will have no further comment at this time’.

There also are questions as to whether Republicans have enough votes to see Kavanaugh confirmed.

The recent events also drew a stunning revelation Sunday from one of Trump’s own senior advisers, Kellyanne Conway.

Mitchell said she “likely” modified her testimony to fit the agenda of Democrats in Congress.