As the confirmation hearings of Brett Kavanaugh steam on, the opposition may have just found the dynamite needed to derail it. Democrats have called in the FBI over long-standing sexual misconduct allegations against the Trump nominee.
Lead by Sen. Diane Feinstein, members of the Senate judiciary committee alerted the Federal Bureau of Investigation to the decades-old allegations. According to reports, the charges date from a woman who accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault while attending Georgetown Preparatory School. Said woman has also reportedly enlisted the counsel of Deborah Katz, a lawyer renown for prosecuting rapists and who has represented high-profile women as part of the #MeToo movement. The law does not specify a statute of limitations for sexual felonies.
Related: Brett Kavanaugh: Trump’s pick for the Supreme Court is just as bad as Gorsuch
Kerri Kupec, a spokeswoman for the White House, did not deny the charges against Kavanaugh. Rather, she blamed democrats for forestalling the confirmation vote. A spokesman for Republican Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley said “At this time, [Grassley] has not seen the letter in question, and is respecting the request for confidentiality. There’s no plan to change the committee’s consideration of Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination.”
Republicans hope to hold a full vote on Kavanaugh’s confirmation by Sept. 20. Confirming 53-year-old Kavanaugh to the high court would likely result in a major shift to the right which would last for years to come.
Kangol
If this did happen, I wouldn’t be surprised at all. Brett Kavanaugh has Catholic repression written all over his face, and he’s allegedly lied multiple times under oath, over the last 20 years, so why would anyone believe his denials?
Zombiez8mybrain
You’re going to assume his guilt because he looks like a repressed catholic and allegedly lied multiple times under oath. Allegedly. Not because he did, but because someone implied, hinted, or said (without proof) that he did. You’re no better than the right-wing haters, if that’s really how you think.
Right-wing nut jobs think I’m an AIDS-infected, effeminate, cross-dressing pervert (I really do mean no offense to our HIV-positive, effeminate, and cross-dressing brothers by that, please bear with me, and hopefully my point will make sense), just because I identify as gay. They’re stereotypes. They’re unfair to me, and they’re unfair to the people who are included in those groups, because they’re being used as slurs, when there’s really nothing shameful about being HIV-positive, effeminate, or a crossdresser. Just because I’m allegedly a horrible person because some nut job says I am, does not make it true. Nor is it automatically true that Kavanaugh lied under oath because someone “allegedly” said he did.
I’m know for a fact that there are some gay catholics. I have friends who are both gay and catholic. Yes, it’s possible. No, they’re not “repressing” their faith to try to fit in with the gay community. No, they’e not bad people because they’re catholic. (I’ll spell it out for you, just to make sure you understand: Just because you don’t agree with someone’s religious beliefs, does not make you right or insightful when you try to use their faith as an insult against them.)
I sincerely believe Trump has no business in the oval office. I also believe he (and his administration) will be out at the end of this term, and their political careers will be over. However, regarding the acrimony and intolerance for what we do not agree with, we will reap what we are currently sowing. I think it would be in our best interest to focus on spreading facts, not hate.
StraightnNarrow
Kangol always allows his bias to speak his mind. He blames the British rule for India’s 70-year delay of legalizing gay sex. He blames the Catholic faith for a few priests’ abuse of power. He is the left of the left and his opinions only represent a small number of extreme progressives.
Apolodorus
You are not better Straightnarrow. What sort of name is that anyway? 🙂
The left is not one thing dude. There are as many lefts as there are left leaning people. I wished there was only one left. We would have won.
And yes, British legislation is to blame for the introduction of homophobia inscribed into law in India. As it is to blame for its introduction in the Caribbean. The fact that it was perpetuated by the colonies doesn’t make them less to blame.
And while the catholic faith did not generate or protect priests who were abusers, the structure of the Catholic Church definitely did. That’s why they are hennirsgubg money in compensation.
Apolodorus
I meant haemorrhaging:-)
StraightnNarrow
UK Legalized homosexuality in 1967 and is now one of the most gay friendly countries in the world but what did India do about the anti-gay law for the last 7 decades since its independence? Absolutely nothing. It is like a killer blaming his sin on his grandfather because the elder killed someone 50 years ago. As for the Catholic faith, if you are against religion, there is nothing anyone can say to change a person with a stone cold heart.
Kangol
@Zombiez8mybrain, first, yes, there are gay Catholics. In fact, Roman Catholics on average are probably more open and less anti-gay than many other US Christian groups, as a whole, and I have stated this before, so please do not try to read me when you have no idea what I’ve said before on the topic. I have previously noted more than once that it was the states with larger Roman Catholic populations that passed same-sex marriage first (with Washington State and Louisiana being the chief exceptions, in differing ways–Washington State with far fewer, Louisiana with a large RC population but mostly conservative these days).
Second, Brett Kavanaugh is not your average Roman Catholic. He is an extremist who worked for Kenneth Starr and George W. Bush, and strongly supported all of the far-right legislation that Bush pushed. He also has sexual repression issues, as his extremely salacious sexualized questions for Bill Clinton demonstrated. He went far beyond anything Ken Starr or the rest of the Special Counsel’s team was planning to ask.
Third, Brett Kavanaugh is on record as having lied at least FIVE times. He apparently did not tell the truth UNDER OATH in 2004 and 2006, and then again in his most recent hearings. This is not just my conjecture, but that of both several US Senators (Leahy, Harris, etc.) and independent observers. Queerty does not allow linking anymore, but you can Google it if you do not believe me.
Fourth, how dare you say that I am “no better than the right-wing haters”? You know nothing about me. Unlike the right-wing “haters,” I have actively worked for most of my adult life to ensure your freedom as a gay man. I have marched, I have worked for and with politicians advancing LGBTQ rights, I have served with organizations that work for LGBTQ rights, civil rights, equality, HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention, and so on. I have worked for your freedom to be an out gay person, and clearly an idiot. So don’t you dare presume such nonsense about me.
@StraightnNarrow/CastleSF, you are a violently repressed head case. You really should get help. You are the same person who did not even know about a gay festival in your alleged home city of SF. You also have never addressed the fact that you don’t do a damned thing on behalf of LGBTQ people. You seem to be terrified of everything–I’ll never forget your expressed horror on here of fisting–and love to scold and troll, so instead of doing so and accusing me of bias, please, look in the mirror first, and then go get help.
Scout
This is political desperation by the Democrats. A drunk Brett Kavanaugh held his hand over the “victim’s” mouth at a high school party while he and his friend turned up the music so nobody could hear them rape her??? Seriously??? One may not like that SCOTUS will lean conservative with his confirmation, but don’t try to ruin the man’s life and career with such nebulous anonymity.
Juanjo
Really? That’s what you are going with?
StraightnNarrow
This candidate gets high rating on American Bar Association. I don’t like his politics and hope that he will withdraw his candidacy, but come on, a drunk “youthful indiscretion” on another drunk woman who got herself in that situation, really? Well, politics is nasty and he is just not well liked unfortunately.
Kieran
Leftists better hope Justice Kavanaugh doesn’t have a long memory or hold grudges. This is no way to win friends or influence people.
Kangol
The Democratic Senator who received the note didn’t even share it with her colleagues, she went to the FBI, not the news. They’ll investigate it, but this man has a very spotty record. He is not Neil Gorsuch, who is ultraconservative, but something far worse. He actually makes Clarence Thomas look like an angel. Also, if this man were so sterling, why on earth are Trump and the GOP hiding so many of his writings? Why not let them see daylight? Why hide so much? Why is Trump always lying so much about everything? Why did Kavanaugh apparently lie under oath? How can he possibly be a fair arbiter of anyone or anything if he cannot even do what he expects others to do, which is tell the truth under oath?
DCguy
Translation: The anti-LGBT accounts also support rape.
Keebler ILF
I don’t know if this is true, but I heard that if this sexual assault allegation goes to court, it would be Merrick Garland (Obama’s rejected Supreme Court pick) who would be the judge.
Kangol
Karma is a MF!
Scout
The chances that Merrick Garland may get another opportunity to be confirmed are quite good, especially if the Dems take over the Senate, and Kavanaugh is not confirmed.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Fienstein is a fool. Out of all the candidates on Trumps short list this man, though far right is the least dangerous. If his nomination is derailed we will wind up with Amy Comey Barret. She is an active member of People of Praise a far right basically religious cult.
Apolodorus
Do you have the entire list?
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Its on many sites. She was being pushed big time by the far right nutbag scumbag. Apparently Kennedy made deal with Trump to retire prior to midterms to nominate Kavanagh. Comey is a virtual lock for Trump’s next pick.. Which will be a catastrophic event for our community
Scout
Indeed…. Or maybe the rabid homophobe, William Pryor. I agree with you. Kavanaugh is the safer bet on Trump’s list.
Maleko
You do understand that the Senate could reject her, too. Trump needs to find a conservative that has modernized his views making his judicial philosophy mostly pragmatic. Justice Kennedy voted with the conservative justices about 73% of the time (WSJ). But he was very pragmatic and understood you can’t use the law to keep people down, excluded from participating in society because they are gay. The Supreme Court did finally rule that gay people have the right to be married and be full participants in the community where they live.
Creamsicle
Here’s hoping an investigation will stall the confirmation vote until after the midterms.
Itsonlythetruth
With 3x less time till the mid-term election hold off the vote and let the people decide. Obama still had 11 months in his term when the scum bag Mitch McConnell would not even give his pick a hearing.
Scout
Best pray that RBG stays alive through 2020! We don’t want 6-3 on SCOTUS.
Gary Q VV
Howdy from the fabulous Katy, Texas Microplex, fellow Gay-Queer+’ers!
Fact: Kavanaugh’s high rating by the ABA isn’t worth prairie-pies (aka cow dung on the open fields) -Period-*;
Fact: Kavanaugh’s rape charge is to be taken as seriously as a charge against an impoverished Black man -Period-*;
Fact: Kavanaugh’s lengthy factual record of perjury is disqualification for any Supreme Court judicial position, even Municipal courts, bar none -Period-*;
Fact: We The People of the United States of America all have the right for our own opinion. Others may object to those opinions, and they should do so with courtesy, respect and some shred of etiquettical response -Period-*;
* “P-E-R-I-O-D!” credit to: Redd Foxx -Period-
Birdbrain1963
A few priests?
oldgayguy
No wonder that the right has become so strong in the USA. The left is making a complete fool of itself by dredging up the sexual misdeeds of a high school student. Everyone can see it is just a cheap political ploy which discredits those that use it. Being from north of the border I know nothing about this guy but I know that this sort of crap makes those on the right angry enough to get out to vote. Which is what happened in your last election. And how did that work out for you?
Adar Lang Pai
The right is “strong” because it has cheated it’s way to minority victories in the White House and Congress through Russian interference and Gerrymandering. People are not impressed with the party of superstition, greed and perversion. Republicans consistently lose the popular vote because most decent people are disgusted by them. Everyone else (all scum) are the ones who are content to overlook their overt racism and abuse of women.
DCguy
You have to love these new troll screenames that appear any time Democrats have the Republicans in a bind to scream that Democrats doing ANYTHING means the right wing wins.
Nice try.
Maleko
Well, well: you can finally see why Sen. Grassley, the chair of the committee and the rest of the Repuglicans won’t release so many papers for the Committee to work through. Sen. Grassley’s Mr. Best Boy In America, nominated to the SCOTUS is an ideologue, way down in his heart and soul. And he has made some serious mistakes the may keep him off of the Court. Gorsuch is seeming to be right wing than he sounded for review, maybe to the right of Scalia who was so far to the right with his brand of ‘originalism’ as was openly asking for the 5th vote to overturn Roe V Wade. How isn’t that a very significant violation of today’s ETHICS’ rules. I think Scalia’s activist act of public calling for the 5th vote to overturn Roe V Wade. You have t o understand how very deep and central to who is was to understand is right wing thinking. He liked originalism because because it is what his Church teaches; Catholics are very conservative at their core, they are literalists and don’t what to deal with any civic society moving forward out of step with their bible. Of course, 10,000’s of thousand of priests, bishops and cardinals and a couple of popes thought it OK to have sex with children, pose naked as it they were on the cross…well lots of fun and exciting activities. After the fun, they had to keep it absolutely quiet to guard the pristine reputation of their Church and to protect all the boys: they told the boys to keep this very, very secret so nobody thinks the boys are bad. People ‘need’ their religion sometimes so believing these pedophiles really were violating one of the sacred laws of god with no premarital sex. Some of the boys think they violated law and are now unworthy to get married and still be a true catholic.
DCguy
The same Republicans, like Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski who called for Senator Franken to “Immediately Resign” Now are stuck dealing with much worse accusations from one of their own.
o.codone
Another last-minute desperate effort to derail the guy. Sad, pathetic, desperate. Feinstein has had the deposition since at least July, but held on to it until now. Women playing stupid games, strategizing like teenagers, being sneaky and manipulative. I’m cringing that my government officials behave this way and that it’s okay for them to do so. It’s not okay. Grow up and conduct business like adults.