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A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 7 September 2018

Dispute over releasing documents dominates Kavanaugh hearing

By LISA MASCARO and documents being withheld
MARK SHERMAN as confidential or kept from
Associated Press release under presiden-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Su- tial privilege by the Trump
preme Court nominee Brett White House.
Kavanaugh’s confirma- Booker called the process
tion tumbled into highly “a bit of a sham.” He was
charged arguing Thursday chastised by GOP col-
over whether key docu- leagues for having dis-
ments were being withheld, cussed a confidential doc-
and one Democrat risked ument about Kavanaugh’s
Senate discipline by releas- legal views on race. Cornyn
ing confidential material. A said it was “irresponsible
newly disclosed email re- and conduct unbecoming
vealed that President Don- a senator.”
ald Trump’s pick once sug- Chairman Chuck Grass-
gested Roe v. Wade was ley, R-Iowa, released more
not settled law. documents Thursday — in-
The finger-pointing over cluding those Booker want-
the unusual vetting pro- ed made public — and
cess for Trump’s nominee stood by his handling of Ka-
made for a rough start for vanaugh’s paper trail.
the final day of questioning “My process was fair,”
of Kavanaugh who has so Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., left, next to Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., questions President Donald Grassley said as he opened
far avoided major missteps Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, as he testifies before the Senate Judiciary the session.
that could block his confir- Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018, on the second day of his So far, Kavanaugh appears
mation. Republican John confirmation hearing to replace retired Justice Anthony Kennedy. on track toward confirma-
Cornyn of Texas said sena- Associated Press tion in the Republican-held
tors could be expelled from viewing a potential op-ed to justices at the time, in an said that he was not dis- Senate, but after a 12-hour
office for violating confi- article in support of two email to a Republican Sen- cussing his views, but rather session Wednesday and
dentially rules, while Demo- judicial nominees while he ate aide. The document is “what legal scholars might more questioning Thursday,
crats led by Cory Booker was working at the George partially redacted. say.” He said he offered the he also does not seem to
of New Jersey, responded, W. Bush White House, ac- Asked about it by the com- comments because he’s have changed minds on
“Bring it on.” cording to the document. It mittee’s top Democrat, “always concerned with the committee, which is
Meanwhile it was shown, had been held by the com- Dianne Feinstein of Califor- accuracy.” split along partisan lines.
in an email obtained by mittee as confidential. nia, Kavanaugh reiterated The 15-year-old email un- The judge left unanswered
The Associated Press, that “I am not sure that all legal his previous testimony that derscored a dispute that questions over how he
Kavanaugh had taken a scholars refer to Roe as the “Roe v. Wade is an impor- has dominated part of the would handle investiga-
different tone on a 2003 settled law of the land at tant precedent of the Su- hearing over Kavanaugh’s tions of the executive
abortion case than he the Supreme Court level preme Court.” unusually long paper trail branch and whether he
had during Wednesday’s since Court can always Pressed further by Repub- stemming from his years in would recuse himself if
hearing when he stressed overrule its precedent, and lican Sen. Orrin Hatch of the Bush White House. The cases involving Trump un-
how difficult it is to overturn three current Justices on Utah, Kavanaugh denied panel’s process resulted der special counsel Robert
precedents like Roe. In the the Court would do so,” he was questioning Roe in hundreds of thousands Mueller’s probe end up at
email, Kavanaugh was re- Kavanaugh wrote, referring as settled law. Kavanaugh of pages of Kavanaugh’s the court.q

Republicans ask Trump to declassify Russia probe documents

By MARY CLARE JALONICK Trump allies, are asking the At a news conference They say the dossier, which tee memo that revealed
Associated Press president to take the un- Thursday, the Republi- was paid for by Democrats, some details from the sur-
WASHINGTON (AP) — A usual step of fully declassi- cans pleaded directly with was used inappropriately veillance warrant.
small group of House Re- fying a secret wiretap ap- Trump to release the docu- to obtain the warrant on The Republicans have also
publicans is urging Presi- plication from 2016 for one- ments. Page and also start the pushed the Justice Depart-
dent Donald Trump to de- time Trump campaign aide “The continued attempts Russia probe. Democrats ment to release thousands
classify documents related Carter Page. The FBI was to hide from the public a disagree, saying the war- of documents related to
to the beginning of the Jus- investigating Page’s ties full accounting of these rant was justified. the Russia investigation
tice Department’s Russia to Russia, but Trump and abuses is intolerable,” said Democrats have criticized and its 2016 investigation
investigation. his allies have insisted that New York Rep. Lee Zeldin. the effort, saying the GOP into Democrat Hillary Clin-
Trump has already signaled the wiretap was a way to The Republicans have lawmakers are trying to dis- ton’s emails. Just before
that he may do so, tweet- spy on his campaign. The spent much of the last year credit the Justice Depart- the House left on its Au-
ing on Thursday that there lawmakers are also asking questioning the credibility ment in an effort to protect gust recess, North Carolina
may be “Declassification to Trump to declassify docu- of the Russia investigation Trump from Mueller’s inves- Rep. Mark Meadows filed
find Additional Corruption.” ments related to Justice that has hung over Trump’s tigation. articles of impeachment
He did not elaborate, but Department official Bruce White House, with a partic- Trump has already declas- against Deputy Attorney
has repeatedly criticized Ohr, who they say had in- ular focus on the start of the sified some documents re- General Rod Rosenstein,
the Russia investigation and appropriate contacts with investigation in 2016. Spe- lated to Page at the urging saying the department had
called it a “witch hunt.” a former British spy who cial counsel Robert Mueller of House Republicans. In not done enough to meet
The Republican lawmakers, compiled a dossier on took over the probe in May February, he declassified a congressional requests for
several of them staunch Trump’s ties to Russia. 2017. House intelligence commit- documents.q