Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) became the latest Senate Democrat on Thursday to criticize the FBI’s investigation into sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, calling the investigation a “complete sham.”
“This so-called ‘investigation’ is a complete sham,” Kaine wrote in a tweet.
Kaine argued that the FBI should have investigated for a longer period and called it an “insult to Americans” that the bureau’s report isn’t being made public.
{mosads}Only one copy of the report is being made available for senators to review, he noted, with lawmakers reading it in the secure compartmented information facility in the Capitol Visitor Center.
“Why not do a real investigation? Why limit Senate access to the report? Why limit public access to it? There can only be one of two answers: the Republican majority doesn’t care about allegations of sexual assault, or they’re worried of what a true investigation would uncover,” Kaine wrote in subsequent tweets.
The FBI opened a days-long supplemental background check investigation into sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh, though Democrats have argued that the FBI didn’t follow up on leads or interview enough witnesses.
Earlier Thursday, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Judiciary Committee ranking member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) slammed what they called an incomplete report.
“We had many fears that this was a very limited process that would constrain the FBI from getting the facts. … Those fears have been realized,” Schumer said.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Thursday that the report doesn’t show corroboration for the accusations made against Kavanaugh.
Three women — Christine Blasey Ford, Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick — have publicly accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct stemming from his days in high school and college in the 1980s, allegations he has denied.
At least two GOP senators who are key swing votes on his nomination — Sens. Jeff Flake (Ariz.) and Susan Collins (Maine) — expressed satisfaction with the FBI investigation on Thursday, saying it appeared to be thorough.