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A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 17 sepTember 2019

New Kavanaugh allegation unlikely to prompt impeachment

By LISA MASCARO, MARY rilous accusations."
CLARE JALONICK and LAU- At the forefront of the
RIE KELLMAN claims against Kavana-
Associated Press ugh last fall were allega-
WASHINGTON (AP) — As tions from Christine Blasey
several Democratic presi- Ford, a college professor
dential candidates called in California, who testified
for the impeachment of Su- that Kavanaugh sexually
preme Court Justice Brett assaulted her when they
Kavanaugh, newly dis- were teens at a high school
closed allegations are re- party near Washington,
viving questions about the D.C.
rush to confirm President As voting neared, three key
Donald Trump's nominee at Republican senators whose
the height of the #MeToo votes McConnell needed
movement. remained undecided, and
The Senate confirmed Ka- the GOP leader drew them
vanaugh last October after and other Republicans to
emotional, widely watched his office to decide the
hearings over an allegation next steps.
of a sexual assault from They resolved to ask the FBI
his high school years. The to take an additional week
vote provided a signature to investigate the claims of
achievement for Senate Ford and Ramirez.
Majority Leader Mitch Mc- Days later, Coons sent his
Connell, fulfilling a long- In this Nov. 30, 2018, file photo Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh sits with fellow Supreme Court letter to the FBI. A copy —
held Republican desire to justices for a group portrait at the Supreme Court Building in Washington. with Stier's name redacted
pack the Supreme Court Associated Press — was sent to the Judiciary
and much of the federal ju- Committee and its chair-
diciary with conservatives. tion process by Deborah who is the person cited in ed in a tweet: "We know he man, Sen. Chuck Grassley,
The New York Times report- Ramirez, a Yale classmate the newspaper story. lied under oath. He should R-Iowa. The letter did not
ed over the weekend that who claimed Kavanaugh The senator's letter to the be impeached." contain any specific details
Kavanaugh faced a sepa- exposed himself to her dur- FBI said the person had Their calls were highly un- of the allegation.
rate allegation from his ing a drunken party. Kava- "information relevant to likely to be taken up by the McConnell would later tell
time at Yale University and naugh declined to com- Ramirez's allegations." House Judiciary Commit- the AP and others that the
that the FBI did not investi- ment Monday through the The Times said that the fe- tee, where impeachment senators determined the
gate the claim. Still, many court's press office, but in male student in the latest proceedings would begin. "scope" of the FBI's investi-
Democrats are reluctant to Senate testimony last year, claim declined to be in- The chairman of the House gation.
reprise the controversy that he flatly denied all allega- terviewed and that friends Judiciary Committee, Rep. On Monday, Grassley said
likely cost the party Senate tions of misconduct. said she doesn't recall the Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., said his office "never received
seats in the midterm elec- On Monday, The Associat- episode. The newspaper Monday that his panel is anything from Mr. Stier" or
tions. ed Press learned that one said Sunday in an editor's focused on impeaching anything with the special
McConnell opened the Democratic senator had note that an earlier ver- Trump. allegation against Kava-
Senate on Monday saying raised concerns to the FBI sion of its story didn't in- "We have the head of naugh "like the one refer-
the new round of allega- as agents were investigat- clude that information.But the FBI coming before our enced."
tions against Kavanaugh ing. several Democratic presi- committee next month, Grassley stood by the pro-
"felt a little like Groundhog Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., dential candidates were and we're certainly going cess and scoffed at im-
Day." He called the Times asked the FBI on Oct. 2 to quick to call for Kavana- to ask him about this, and peachment, saying, "There
report "yet another poorly speak with "one individual ugh's impeachment. Sen. we're going to see where weren't any allegations in
sourced, thinly reported un- I would like to specifically Kamala Harris, D-Calif., it goes from there," Nadler the letter. They just said you
substantiated allegation." refer you to for appropriate said Kavanaugh "lied" to said on WNYC's "The Brian ought to talk to so-and-so."
While impeachment pro- follow up," according to a the Senate and "most im- Lehrer Show." One of those three Repub-
ceedings against Kavana- letter obtained by the AP. portantly to the American Republicans affirmed their licans whose vote McCon-
ugh are extremely unlikely, The senator's letter does not people." She tweeted: "He support for Kavanaugh. nell needed was Sen. Su-
the revelations raise fresh spell out the allegations, must be impeached." Mas- Sen. Lindsey Graham of san Collins of Maine, who
questions about the GOP and the person's name is sachusetts Sen. Elizabeth South Carolina tweeted, ultimately voted to confirm
rush to push Kavanaugh's redacted in the letter. But a Warren, tweeted, "Like the "As Chairman of the Sen- Kavanaugh. Her spokes-
confirmation. person familiar with the let- man who appointed him, ate Judiciary Committee, woman said Monday that
The latest claim in the Times ter confirmed Coons was Kavanaugh should be im- I promise you Justice Ka- the new allegation is an
is similar to one offered dur- referring to Max Stier, a Yale peached." Former Texas vanaugh will not be im- "accusation that lacks an
ing Kavanaugh's confirma- classmate of Kavanaugh's Rep. Beto O'Rourke assert- peached over these scur- accuser."q