Despite Trump’s claim that FBI had “free rein,” his aides limited witness lists and scope of questioning, per a senator’s report.

SIX YEARS AFTER Brett Kavanaugh joined the Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority, a Democratic senator claims the FBI barely followed up on explosive sexual assault allegations that emerged during his nomination. A report released Tuesday lays out how White House officials kept a tight leash on the FBI’s inquiry, contrary to Trump’s claims at the time that the agency had “free rein” to investigate the claims.

“Far from getting to the bottom of the allegations against Kavanaugh,” reads the report (pdf), which was released by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., after years of fighting both the Trump and Biden administrations for clarity, the FBI’s investigation “raised additional questions about the thoroughness of the FBI’s review and whether its scope had been purposely curtailed.”

Manchin and Senate Republicans pointed to the fact that the FBI found little to substantiate the accusations. But Whitehouse’s report says this was the inevitable outcome, since the Trump administration hemmed in the FBI to the point that agents were not authorized to pursue even obvious leads.

    • BertramDitore@lemm.eeEnglish
      31·
      1 month ago

      Ehh it was reported on, but we didn’t know it for sure, nor did we have specifics. There’s a difference between good reporting in a credible newspaper and an investigation led by a Senator on the Judiciary Committee. I think we’re just used to relying on good journalism since there has been a distinct lack of judicial oversight in Congress. But reports like this are based on totally different access and legal mechanisms that the press isn’t privy to (on the record, at least).

      Relevant bits:

      Since Kavanaugh’s confirmation, Whitehouse and Senate Democrats have tried to find out just how thoroughly the FBI investigated the allegations. In numerous hearings and letters, they asked FBI Director Christopher Wray for details and documentation but got nothing back until Trump was out of office, according to the report.

      and

      “The Congressional report published today confirms what we long suspected,” said Ford’s attorneys in a statement. “The FBI supplemental investigation of then-nominee Brett Kavanaugh was, in fact, a sham effort directed by the Trump White House to silence brave victims and other witnesses who came forward and to hide the truth.”