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Even the American Bar Association, which gave Kavanaugh its highest rating, wants an FBI investigation

“Deciding to proceed without conducting an additional investigation would not only have a lasting impact on the Senate’s reputation, but it will also negatively affect the great trust necessary for the American people to have in the Supreme Court."

If senators truly want Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court, the American Bar Association thinks they better slow down and consider an FBI investigation before proceeding with votes to confirm him. In a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday night, American Bar Association President Robert Carlson urged that the Senate Judiciary Committee, responsible for recommending Kavanaugh for a full Senate confirmation vote, had no need to rush through the process without a proper investigation.

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“The basic principles that underscore the Senate’s constitutional duty of advice and consent on federal judicial nominees require nothing less than a careful examination of the accusations and facts by the FBI,” Carlson wrote. The Senate Judiciary Committee may vote to recommend Kavanaugh’s confirmation Friday afternoon, and then the full Senate could vote to confirm him to a lifetime appointment on the nation’s highest court early next week. “Deciding to proceed without conducting an additional investigation would not only have a lasting impact on the Senate’s reputation, but it will also negatively affect the great trust necessary for the American people to have in the Supreme Court,” Carlson added in the letter to the committee.

At Kavanaugh's hearing before the committee Thursday, in-between his repeated declarations that he's innocent of the sexual misconduct allegations against him, he refused to demand a full FBI investigation, as all three of his female accusers have done. Christine Blasey Ford, the first woman to come forward with allegations against the Supreme Court nominee, continued to request an investigation as she appeared before the committee to testify Thursday as well. Ahead of his confirmation hearings, the American Bar Association gave Kavanaugh its highest rating of “well qualified,” which Kavanaugh brought with him to show on Thursday. Sen. Lindsey Graham even went as far to call that a “gold standard.” Republicans have decried the proposed investigation as some sort of stalling tactic concocted by Democrats — one which doesn’t appear to matter too much to the senators, according to NBC News’ Kasie Hunt.

View the full letter here:

Cover image: Judge Brett Kavanaugh testifies to the Senate Judiciary Committee during his Supreme Court confirmation hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill September 27, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)