The results of a recently opened FBI investigation into claims of sexual misconduct against Brett Kavanaugh will be made available to the Senate, but not the public, according to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
“We’ll get an FBI report soon. It will be made available to each senator and only senators will be allowed to look at it,” McConnell told reporters on Tuesday, adding “That’s the way these reports are always handled.”
An FBI investigation was launched after Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ) derailed Kavanaugh’s confirmation by refusing to vote “yes” pending a probe demanded by Senate Democrats.
The White House and Republican senators asked the FBI to reopen a background investigation on Kavanaugh the day after Flake’s line in the sand, as Flake and two other GOP senators remain undecided on Kavanaugh’s confirmation pending the results of the FBI’s investigation.
Ford detailed her accusations during dramatic testimony last week in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee, claiming that Kavanaugh pushed her onto a bed and began to grope her. She says she was able to get away when Kavanaugh’s friend, Mark Ford, jumped on the bed and sent them flying.
The FBI will reportedly conclude their probe by Wednesday according to the Wall Street Journal, in a Tuesday report that hit just minutes after Ford’s lawyers sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray claiming that their client had yet to be interviewed.
“it has been five days and no interview yet?” reads the letter.
Letter sent today to FBI Director Christopher Wray from Christine Blasey Ford’s attorney. pic.twitter.com/yEidNOvQCo
— Jason Leopold (@JasonLeopold) October 2, 2018
That said, other reports have already proclaimed that Ford’s testimony at the last week was sufficient, which, as WSJ reports, means this may be over by tomorrow…
People familiar with the process said Tuesday that the FBI investigation into the allegations of sexual misconduct against Judge Kavanaugh could wrap up very soon, well ahead of the end-of week deadline.
GOP aides on the Hill and another person familiar with the process said they were expecting the bureau to conclude its report as soon as late Tuesday or early Wednesday.
Agents had interviewed at least four key people as of Tuesday in its background investigation of Judge Kavanaugh. The White House had given the bureau until Friday to wrap up the probe.
Senators would then be shown the FBI’s findings, but it wasn’t clear if the public would get a look as well.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) said on Tuesday the report was expected “soon” and “will be made available to each senator and only senators will be allowed to look at it.”
And after that – the big debate will be whether it is made public…
Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa) said that in his 38 years on the Senate, “an FBI report, as far as I know, has never been made public” and that it could hurt the FBI in future investigations if the report was made public.
The top Democrat on the committee, Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, said “it depends” and she thinks a report it “should be limited” to the committee. She said in her past experience that is what has been done, but she was not clear on the format the FBI would release the results of its investigation.
So after the entire edge-of-the-seat public circus, it appears that the FBI isn’t going to interview Ford, and whatever they conclude won’t be made public unless some Senator leaks it.
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