Neither Ford nor her legal team has heard from the FBI despite multiple attempts to speak with investigators since Friday, an attorney said
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| © Jim Bourg / REUTERS Professor Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of a sexual assault in 1982, testifies before a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing for Kavanaugh on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., September 27, 2018. |
Christine Blasey Ford, the first woman to step forward with allegations of sexual assault against Judge Brett Kavanaugh, has not heard from FBI investigators examining claims made by Ford and others, a member of her legal team said Sunday.
The attorney said neither Ford nor her lawyers have been contacted by the FBI despite multiple attempts to reach investigators since President Trump ordered the bureau to conduct a "supplemental" investigation on Friday. Kavanaugh has denied ever sexually assaulting anyone.
Republican Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona called for a one-week delay on a final vote on Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court so the FBI could look into the allegations, something Democrats had been pressing for since the allegations emerged.
Mr. Trump quickly directed the FBI to conduct the probe at the request of the Senate Judiciary Committee, writing in a statement that the investigation "must be limited in scope and completed in less than one week." In a tweet Saturday, Mr. Trump wrote, "I want them to interview whoever they deem appropriate, at their discretion."
However, officials familiar with the matter said Sunday that the White House has set the parameters of the investigation, which is a limited reopening of the standard background check conducted for judicial nominees. NBC News first reported that the White House had placed limits on the investigation.
Republicans on the Judiciary Committee had hoped to push forward with Kavanaugh's nomination after a grueling day-long hearing on Thursday in which lawmakers heard emotional testimony from Ford and Kavanaugh. Ford told senators that Kavanaugh assaulted her at a party when she was a sophomore in high school. Kavanaugh vigorously denied the allegation and excoriated Senate Democrats for what he called "a calculated and orchestrated political hit."
Several Republican senators have expressed doubt that the FBI investigation will yield any new information. In an interview airing on "60 Minutes" Sunday, Sens. Lindsey Graham and John Kennedy told correspondent Scott Pelley that they were unlikely to revoke their support for Kavanaugh based on the investigation's findings.
The attorney said neither Ford nor her lawyers have been contacted by the FBI despite multiple attempts to reach investigators since President Trump ordered the bureau to conduct a "supplemental" investigation on Friday. Kavanaugh has denied ever sexually assaulting anyone.
Republican Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona called for a one-week delay on a final vote on Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court so the FBI could look into the allegations, something Democrats had been pressing for since the allegations emerged.
Mr. Trump quickly directed the FBI to conduct the probe at the request of the Senate Judiciary Committee, writing in a statement that the investigation "must be limited in scope and completed in less than one week." In a tweet Saturday, Mr. Trump wrote, "I want them to interview whoever they deem appropriate, at their discretion."
However, officials familiar with the matter said Sunday that the White House has set the parameters of the investigation, which is a limited reopening of the standard background check conducted for judicial nominees. NBC News first reported that the White House had placed limits on the investigation.
Republicans on the Judiciary Committee had hoped to push forward with Kavanaugh's nomination after a grueling day-long hearing on Thursday in which lawmakers heard emotional testimony from Ford and Kavanaugh. Ford told senators that Kavanaugh assaulted her at a party when she was a sophomore in high school. Kavanaugh vigorously denied the allegation and excoriated Senate Democrats for what he called "a calculated and orchestrated political hit."
Several Republican senators have expressed doubt that the FBI investigation will yield any new information. In an interview airing on "60 Minutes" Sunday, Sens. Lindsey Graham and John Kennedy told correspondent Scott Pelley that they were unlikely to revoke their support for Kavanaugh based on the investigation's findings.
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