Keeping up with Kavanaugh

Background on President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh preceding 9/27 hearing.

Amy Inkrott/News Editor/The USD Vista

On June 27, 2018, Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement from the Supreme Court.

Shortly after, on July 9, President Donald Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh, who sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Kavanaugh is a District of Columbia native and Yale graduate. In the 1990s, he assisted in the Ken Starr investigation of President Bill Clinton. He worked as a lawyer for the 2000 Bush-Cheney election campaign. Kavanaugh also held the positions of White House counsel and staff secretary in the Bush administration. 

Kavanaugh’s nomination is largely controversial. His original nomination to the Court of Appeals in 2003 was blocked by the Senate Democrats due to his partisan history. During the Ken Starr investigation, Kavanaugh maintained that a sitting president should not be subject to investigation. He is supported by conservative Christians because of his previous stances against a woman’s right to choose. 

From Sept. 4-7 of this year, Kavanaugh sat before the Senate Judiciary Committee. In the confirmation hearing, he was asked about issues regarding his stances on important issues, such as Roe v. Wade. Despite having strong opinions in the past, Kavanaugh sidestepped questions regarding his stance on abortion. 

After the confirmation hearings ended, California Senator Dianne Feinstein released a letter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) regarding the sexual assault allegations against the nominee. Professor Christine Blasey Ford, a former high school acquaintance of Kavanaugh’s, filed sexual assault allegations against the nominee. Ford claims that a drunken Kavanaugh pinned her down and attempted to disrobe her while at a party. Kavanaugh has since denied these allegations. However, the senate has chosen to postpone the confirmation vote in order to question both Ford and Kavanaugh.

On Sept. 23, a second accuser came forward with allegations against Kavanaugh. Deborah Ramirez, a classmate of Kavanaugh’s from Yale University, claimed the nominee exposed himself to her during their freshman year. Again, Kavanaugh denies the allegations. President Donald Trump has continued to support his nominee, claiming that these investigations are politically motivated.   

Ford has requested an FBI investigation of the issue, and to testify without Kavanaugh present. Both she and Kavanaugh have received death threats surrounding their involvement with the allegations. 

Ford is scheduled to formally testify under oath before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, Sept. 27.