WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar and seven other Democratic lawmakers who are former prosecutors wrote a letter to President Donald Trump last week requesting that the FBI renew its background investigation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
They want the FBI to probe an allegation from Christine Blasey Ford that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when the pair were in high school in the 1980s — an investigation that Ford had already requested. A former Hennepin County Attorney, Klobuchar is also the only Minnesota lawmaker on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and she led the letter along with U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris of California. Klobuchar and other Democrats had opposed Kavanaugh before Ford's accusation became public.
"Career law enforcement officers have specialized training and expertise in this area, and when new evidence emerges, law enforcement professionals regularly follow up on those developments," the letter said. "This process … is how our justice system works."
The lawmakers also noted, "Senate Republicans are attempting to make Dr. Christine Blasey Ford testify on just a few days' notice — without having the FBI follow up on her allegations and provide a report first. This strikes us as a simple check-the-box exercise in a rush to confirm Judge Kavanaugh."
MAYA Rao
