Brett Kavanaugh is the latest judge to be nominated to the Supreme Court by President Donald Trump. His hearings came to an end on September 7 and committee voted to send him to the full chamber on September 20. But with Kavanaugh all over the news in recent days,it’s important to break down all the information that came out during his hearing.
Kavanaugh has a decorated history; he graduated from Yale Law School, worked with Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr on the Clinton impeachment, was an aide to President George W. Bush, and was a clerk for the recently retired Justice Kennedy. He’s been sitting on the D.C Circuit courts since 2006 andhas a long record of conservative jurisprudence similar to Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia.
On abortion, Kavanaugh told Sen. Susan Collins of Maine that he considers Roe V. Wadeto be settled law. In his 2006 confirmation to the D.C Circuit Court, he refused to state his personal opinion on abortion, but promised to uphold Supreme Court precedents. This conflicts with a leaked email of his from 2003, when he served as a Bush aide. In the email, he claimed that Supreme Court precedents can be overruled, and that in the case of Roe “three court justices would do so.”So while he claims the case is settled, it doesn’t appear he actually believes that Roecannot be repealed.
His views on abortion and other issues have been eclipsed by recent allegations that he sexually assaulted a classmate in high school. California professor Christine Blasey Ford wrote a confidential letter to a member of the Judicial committee alleging that the judge sexually assaulted her thirty years ago while they were both in high school. This sexual allegation scandal has pushed many Democrats to demand the vote on Kavanaugh be postponed until they can hear more from his accuser. Ms. Ford refused to appear before the Judiciary committee unless they first investigate her allegation
The committee’s Republican officials looked like they were going to push Kavanaugh through, when another woman came out against the Supreme Court nominee. Deborah Ramirez, who attended Yale with Kavanaugh, came out against her former classmate after carefully assessing her memories. She was at first nervous due to having been drinking that night, and having a few gaps in her memory, but after a few days of recollecting, she felt confident to recount how Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a dormitory party, pushed his penis in her face, and caused her to touch it without her consent.
Afterwards, attorney Michael Avenatti, who represented Stormy Daniels, released a statement that he represented another woman who has credible information regarding Kavanaugh and Mark Judge targeting women with alcohol and/or drugs toallow a “train” of men to subsequently rape them. Judge Kavanaugh has called these allegations a smear campaign, vehemently denied them, and refuses to rescind his nomination.
Photo credits: U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
