President Trump on Friday ordered the FBI to conduct a limited “supplemental” background investigation into the allegations of sexual assault against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Republicans are “moving” forward with plans to vote.
“I’ve ordered the FBI to conduct a supplemental investigation to update Judge Kavanaugh’s file,” Trump said in a statement. “As the Senate has requested, this update must be limited in scope and completed in less than one week.”
Trump’s order came after several undecided senators whose votes are needed to confirm Kavanaugh called for a weeklong FBI probe before a floor vote.
The Senate had been expected to begin debate on Kavanaugh’s nomination this weekend, but after Trump’s order, McConnell adjourned the body until Monday. A potential confirmation vote may not come until late next week, next weekend or perhaps the week of Oct. 7.
“This is a nomination that deserves to move forward — and that is precisely what is happening,” McConnell, R-Ky., said on the Senate floor Friday.
Added McConnell, “Now we will keep the process moving.” – READ MORE
[divider][/divider]It’s been suggested that if Kavanaugh has nothing to hide he would be open to such an investigation. It didn’t appear that he himself is opposed per se to such an investigation — he said he would do what the Committee wanted — but he also didn’t say the magic words “open an FBI investigation.”
That aside, there are certainly political and practical reasons for Republican lawmakers not to pursue the FBI option, according to an FBI expert familiar with a Single Scope Background Investigation (SSBI).
Andrew Bringuel, a now-retired FBI Agent Supervisor Instructor and Researcher at the FBI Academy’s Behavioral Science Unit with more than 27 years of experience, told Law&Crime that SSBIs like the one being requested by Democratic lawmakers take a while. The typical one takes 7 months.
“The reason GOP and Kavanaugh might not want an FBI Investigation is because a typical SSBI takes 7 months,” he explained. “Even expedited it may take more than a month or two, which of course drags into the mid-terms.”
Let’s do the math. If an FBI investigation were to be opened today and it took 7 months, that’s the end of April 2019. Well after the mid-terms, and fast approaching 2020.
If it took “more than a month or two,” indeed this drags into the mid-terms, after which time the vote on Kavanaugh might very well be even more in jeopardy. – READ MORE
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