Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) alleged on Wednesday that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was not truthful with senators earlier this month when he said…
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) alleged on Wednesday that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was not truthful with senators earlier this month when he said he never violated grand jury secrecy laws during his time working for Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr.
Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, told Politico that she obtained a memo from the National Archives that showed Kavanaugh instructed a colleague in the Starr investigation two decades ago to call reporter Chris Ruddy about matters before the grand jury.
Such an action would violate laws that prevent disclosure of grand jury information. Feinstein claimed to Politico that the memo also conflicts with Kavanaugh’s testimony earlier this month that he never broke those rules.
Politico reported that Kavanaugh’s request to call Ruddy related to questioning of grand jury witness Patrick Knowlton.
Knowlton claimed to have seen someone in Fort Marcy Park shortly before White House lawyer Vince Foster was found dead there in an apparent suicide, which was reviewed as part of Starr’s investigation.
Democrats have attempted to argue in recent weeks that Kavanaugh was not entirely forthcoming in some of his answers about his time in the George W. Bush administration during his Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
However, those claims have been overshadowed in recent days by sexual misconduct allegations from two women against Kavanaugh.
Christine Blasey Ford alleged earlier this month that Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed and groped her during a 1980s high school party.
A week later, Deborah Ramirez went public with an allegation that Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a college party in the 1980s.
Kavanaugh has denied both claims, and said he will not withdraw his nomination. He and Ford are set to testify on Thursday about her accusations.
Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Tuesday rejected Feinstein’s calls for the testimony to be delayed until an FBI investigation is ordered and conducted.
