Republican aides on Capitol Hill anticipate the FBI’s supplementary background investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh will conclude by late Tuesday or early Wednesday.
Although the FBI had until Friday to complete the investigation, GOP aides and a person familiar with the matter expect it will wrap up days beforehand — most likely late Tuesday or early Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal reports.
The report comes as lawyers for Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Kavanaugh of forcing himself on her in the 1980s during a party in high school, revealed they have not yet been interviewed by the bureau.
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Ford’s attorneys Debra Katz and Michael Bromwich wrote to FBI Director Christopher Wray and FBI General Counsel Dana Boente on Tuesday, expressing their concern that the FBI would miss a chance to talk to their client directly.
"It is inconceivable that the FBI could conduct a thorough investigation of Dr. Ford’s allegations without interviewing her, Judge Kavanaugh, or the witnesses we have identified in our letters to you," they wrote in the letter.
Additionally, a lawyer for Deborah Ramirez, who claims that Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a party when they were freshmen at Yale University, said he has “great concern” that the FBI is “not conducting … a serious investigation.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said the FBI’s report "will be made available to each senator and only senators will be allowed to look at it." Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said that over the past few decades he has been in the Senate, he is not aware of any FBI reports that were made public and said doing so could harm the FBI in future inquiries.
In contrast, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said "there does need to be some sort of public statement, if not the reports themselves."
He added that "since the accusations have been made public, it seems to me that people are not going to be satisfied until some public statement about what the FBI supplemental background investigation showed is made."
Kavanaugh has denied all allegations of sexual misconduct against him. The Senate is waiting to vote to confirm him until the FBI investigation concludes.