FBI facing allegation of "fake" 2018 background check of Brett Kavanaugh

[bullwinkle428]

The FBI is facing new scrutiny for its 2018 background check of Brett Kavanaugh, the supreme court justice, after a lawmaker suggested that the investigation may have been “fake”.

Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democratic senator and former prosecutor who serves on the judiciary committee, is calling on the newly-confirmed attorney general, Merrick Garland, to help facilitate “proper oversight” by the Senate into questions about how thoroughly the FBI investigated Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearing.

The supreme court justice was accused of sexual assault by Christine Blasey Ford and faced several other allegations of misconduct following Ford’s harrowing testimony of an alleged assault when she and Kavanaugh were in high school.

The FBI was called to investigate the allegations during the Senate confirmation process but was later accused by some Democratic senators of conducting an incomplete background check. For example, two key witnesses – Ford and Kavanaugh – were never interviewed as part of the probe.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/mar/16/fbi-brett-kavanaugh-background-check-fake

[bullwinkle428]

1. Kicking to add another particularly relevant excerpt:

He (Sheldon Whitehouse) added that, once the FBI decided to create a “tip line”, senators were not given any information on how or whether new allegations were processed and evaluated. While senators’ brief review of the allegations gathered by the tip line showed a “stack” of information had come in, there was no further explanation on the steps that had been taken to review the information, Whitehouse said.

“This ‘tip line’ appears to have operated more like a garbage chute, with everything that came down the chute consigned without review to the figurative dumpster,” he said.

He also criticized FBI director Chris Wray, who President Joe Biden has elected to remain in place, for not answering questions about the investigation.

While it is unclear whether the FBI would re-open an investigation into Kavanaugh, who is now one of nine justices on the Supreme Court, the letter could push Garland to force the DOJ to respond to questions about the investigation into Kavanaugh.

[A2er]

33. Follow the money...

It seems like I remember some 'interesting' stuff about Kavanaugh having some significant debt involving paying for baseball tickets for friends, etc. and then all of a sudden the debt was paid off and the old 'nothing to see here' deployed.

Does anyone else remember that incident and the odd ending?

Who paid off the debt? Why? Was it just for 'baseball tickets for friends'?

Asking for an enemy.

[KS Toronado]

38. Welcome to DU!

[RANDYWILDMAN]

37. KNEW IT !! KNEW IT !!!

KNEW IT !! KNEW IT !!!!

You filthy slime

[Sentath]

2. Where did his debt go?

https://www.gq.com/story/scotus-kavanaugh-credit-card-debt

[magicarpet]

59. Kavanaugh was always very evasive about finances....

Accusations of Gambling Debt
The dice game on the boat led to further conversations surrounding Kavanaugh’s non-beer vices. After the email leak, Rhode Island senator Sheldon Whitehouse submitted written questions to the SCOTUS nominee, asking if he “ever sought treatment for a gambling addiction” and requested that he detail his gambling habits. Kavanaugh dismissed anything beyond a casual and infrequent relationship to betting, but that did not put an end to speculation about the massive debt he reported in May 2017 — somewhere between $60,000 and $200,000.

Kavanaugh defended his potential six-figure credit-card debt by the time of his nomination with a janky alibi: He was buying playoff baseball tickets for a “handful” of his “boys,” though he never provided Whitehouse with the requested dates of reimbursement the senator asked for. Past financial disclosure forms showed this was not the first time the judge racked up substantial credit-card debt, falling into a similar $60,000 to $200,000 hole in 2006, the year he was confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. circuit.

The Debt Evaporates
Kavanaugh’s explanation for how he got rid of the debt also doesn’t hold water: He claims that his friends simply paid him back for the Washington Nationals tickets in cash. But as former Office of Government Ethics Director Walter Shaub notes:
An Income Versus Asset Imbalance
The financial incongruities continue. Not only was Kavanaugh able to quickly pay off the substantial debt on a federal judge’s salary of $220,000, he also paid his mortgage on his $1.225 million home in Chevy Chase, Maryland; tuition for his kids at a $10,500-a-year private school; and annual dues of $9,000 at a tony country club — all with a single breadwinner in the household. Back when he purchased his house in 2006, he would have needed $245,000 in cash for a standard 20 percent down payment. But as Mother Jones reports, in 2005, Kavanaugh had assets of around $91,000. (Also in 2006, he reported between $60,000 and $200,000 in debt, split between three credit cards and a loan, per the Washington Post.) After the purchase, according to financial disclosure forms, Kavanaugh’s liquid assets did not decrease. Questioning the judge in writing, Senator Whitehouse asked:


https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/09/kavanaughs-confirmation-all-the-unanswered-questions.html

[bucolic_frolic]

3. If the process lacked due diligence and rigor, heads should roll, don't consider

the appointment settled, and find out if dark money greased the wheels. Don't tell me it can't be done. Do it.

[maliaSmith]

36. FFFFKavanaugh

Follow the money, find out who paid off his debts and also investigate his perjury to the Senate. If he's found to have lied, impeach him or enlarge the court so we can have two more appointees to cover for Garland and FFFFKavanaugh.

[Karadeniz]

4. Even I found evidence of guilt that was never presented in his hearing. A SCOTUS nominee

Really should know better than to call to alert an old friend about an investigation, so the friend would know what to say. Didn't hear anything about the girl who was molested in a car.

[triron]

30. Yes it appears much was just ignored.

[certainot]

31. and then her supporters let limbaugh call her a liar for weeks

even telling his audience who and where christine 'balsey' ford's parents were

[brewens]

5. Ford's identity wasn't revealed by a leak, it was Kavanaugh. He and his drunk buddy knew

who it was because they were there.

[2naSalit]

6. Good.

Sen. Whitehouse is on top of this stuff and I am glad to see it.

[malaise]

15. THIS

Remove the scumbag

[secondwind]

24. YES!!!!!!!!!!!

[BComplex]

41. Whitehouse is one of my very very favorite Senators.

We could use a few more like him come the next election!!

[soldierant]

56. Amen to this! He deserves much credit for this, and

also for the attention he is trying to bring to the need to fill judicial vacancies with QUALIFIED judges.

[JT45242]

7. Follow the MONEY...

As damning as the sexual harassment allegations were, the bigger issue that was ignored was the questionable financials that were not fully investigated.

I will stipulate that he is a loathsome sexist, pig. BUT....if he was paid off or was beholden to someone in a bribery or blackmail method because of money that could have him removed from the bench. Where did all that money come from that paid off more than a year's salary worth of debts?

Follow the money and that is the way to change the court. Follow the money and you will likely get to Deutschbank and Scalia's family. Follow the money and you will have tax fraud, bribery, and potentially RICO if you can tie this to a conspiracy to help Trump (should not be hard with Deutschbank and Trump money laundering and shady loans). This is the way to pull at the strings, because Kavanaugh will not take the fall for Trump and his ilk, he will try to save his own skin.

Follow the money and you might find something about why ACB was picked as well.

[bucolic_frolic]

10. x100x!

[mopinko]

12. who paid for that ad blitz?

that was the most stunning bit of the whole drama if you ask me.
i do believe whitehouse is also on the heels of that particular group also.

wray has got to go. now that garland is in place, i'm just assuming his top priority is finding new dept/agency heads.

[Botany]

16. "who paid for that ad blitz?"

The Judicial Crisis Network.

Secretive conservative legal group funded by $17 million mystery donor before Kavanaugh fight
https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/05/dark-money-group-funded-by-17million-mystery-donor-before-kavanaugh/

The JCN also spent millions to stop Merrick Garland too.

[TheRickles]

17. Agreed. Greg Olear has done a fabulous job researching "Who Owns Kavanaugh?".

A link to his summary is here, and it links to the four previous chapters, which are very detailed and chilling. Opus Dei and the Federalist Society are big money players. I hope Sen. Whitehouse has seen this material.

[link:https://gregolear.substack.com/p/who-owns-kavanaugh-index?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjo5MjMyNDk0LCJwb3N0X2lkIjozMzMzOTUwMywiXyI6IlJVQ0xuIiwiaWF0IjoxNjE1OTAxOTgzLCJleHAiOjE2MTU5MDU1ODMsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0yMDY5NSIsInN1YiI6InBvc3QtcmVhY3Rpb24ifQ._QyLGzXxztMTLjnfVjN0ppjzp-3m0gCwS8mV9B6RnyQ&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share|

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

42. Looks good. Bookmarking to read that later.

Thanks.

[Hortensis]

44. Well, there's almost nothing Olear could find that wouldn't have been

available to Senator Whitehouse, of whom he is an admirer. I don't see that he claims special insider access himself, and has never worked for one of the major investigative journals with big resources. (?)

It's useful to realize that, besides the rest of the enormous resources available to powerful U.S. senators, including him and his colleagues and staff assistants on the judiciary committee, Whitehouse himself has a few dozen extremely highly qualified professional staffers, and together they all have contacts and access most could only dream of, including among our intelligence services.

We can always hope Olear came up with a new item to add, though. At very least, one will have checked out this series as part of his or her job. If he was connected enough to be a source of information not available to the public, rather than a compiler of what is, it's likely they'd have talked to him.

[TheRickles]

50. What you say makes sense. I hope you're right.

I'd've thought Olear might mention Sen. Whitehouse in one of his most recent posts, but he hasn't. Which could mean any number of things. Bottom line - it's great to see this issue getting more public attention!

[Hortensis]

51. For sure for that last! I'm going to be checking out that series.

Compiling, vetting and presenting what's known on something like this is hugely valuable when well done. My eyes cross at just the thought of it.

[gratuitous]

8. What's the statute of limitations on perjury?

Asking for an enemy.

[twodogsbarking]

13. There are probably different laws for attorneys.

There usually are.

[Botany]

9. "They" didn't do an investigation.

Last edited Tue Mar 16, 2021, 10:01 AM - Edit history (1)

"They" didn't interview Dr. Ford, Kavanaugh, Dr. Ford's friends, associates of Kavanaugh,
Dr. Ford's therapists, or anybody in their "investigation." Although Trump, McConnell,
other GOPers, and even main stream media talked about how the investigation cleared
Kavanaugh of the charges.

If Kavanaugh lied under oath @ his senate hearings we should have a real investigation
done on Kavanaugh and if warranted he should be removed from the Supreme Court.

BTW Brett saying he didn't know the meaning of slang terms that every teen boy knows
was bullshit. I think it was the 4 F club.

[The Blue Flower]

11. Whitehouse is focused on dark money behind the SC like a laser

I'm very glad to see him making this part of that issue.

[Blue_playwright]

18. I hope the real reason behind the other SCOTUS

Resignation is brought to light. The circumstances are fishy and that reaction he had while talking with Trump immediately after was telling

[crickets]

27. +1

[Hekate]

40. I am glad to hear that

[llashram]

14. I believe ths

sooner than not. Kavanaugh is a trumpist pig. Rammed through because of the knowledge in the WH that they were going to try to attempt a coup if trump the pig lost the election. Of course this conjecture. Stephen Miller should never be discounted as the ideologue fighting to turn America into a fascist state.

[Iliyah]

19. What background check? . ..

it was a farce from day one.

[Pepsidog]

20. Oh yes, this needs to be looked into further. He should not have been confirmed due to his obvious

and provable lies about stupid stuff like what “Boof” , “Renata Club” etc. Those were provable lies under oath. I went to a private Catholic school at the same time as Kavenaugh and “Boof” didn’t mean fart. If he lied over stupid stuff then he definitely lied about the serious sexual assault allegations.

[sarcasmo]

21. I like Beer!

[gab13by13]

22. Justice beer pong needs to be impeached.

...and sent to jail.

[Alien Life Form]

23. I am feeling proud

Senator Whitehouse is our Senator here in RI.. just on a local radio show demonstrating a wide knowledge and understanding of what is going on in Washington. Talked about dark money and how the GOP has decided they cannot win unless they suppress the vote.
He knows what the GOP and the rest of these slime are up to..

[Martin68]

26. The investigation looked cursory, to say the least. The FBI was very secretive about the process, if

there even was one. I suspect they wanted to avoid getting politically tangled up in the approval process and tried to avoid it.

[Evolve Dammit]

28. Never should have been approved if investigation was incomplete. What now? Doubt he would

ever be removed. Clarence should have been also, he's still fat and happy with his seditionist wife.

[kacekwl]

29. Christopher Wray needs to be replaced. I'M

worried about his handling of the Capitol attack and those involved. ALL involved including government officials and employees. We'll see I guess.

[gab13by13]

32. I know what would make people squirm,

he would never be confirmed but put him on as acting FBI director - Malcomb Nance. He could do a lot of cleaning up in his temporary time.

[Duppers]

47. Yes, indeed! 👍

[Takket]

34. Yeah I remember that "investigation "

McConnell gave them like two days to verify his driver’s license and they said “looks good!” I’m being facetious of course but it was pretty absurd.

[bluecollar2]

35. Time to invest in corn futures?

Popcorn may soon be a hot commodity....

[KS Toronado]

39. More & more things point to Christopher Wray as being a trumper....

The very type of individuals we need to purge from the Biden administration. We can't have a functioning
government with holdover McTurtle want-to-be's

[Hermit-The-Prog]

43. Investigate Justice Beer Bong Weenie Waver and the FBI, starting with Wray.

[Demsrule86]

45. Was Wray the director then? If so he must go.

[KT2000]

46. Thank you Senator Whitehouse

He wants the integrity back and he is doing the work!!

[Duppers]

48. K & R

[lindysalsagal]

49. Dems have stayed silent in the past for senate comradery. F that.

They're finally using their power of oversight.

In 2000-2006 they were complicit.

[GoodRaisin]

52. I was so hoping this would eventually happen. The "investigation" was a sham. nt

[SpankMe]

53. Garland must tip-toe through this careully

As a SCOTUS nominee who was denied a rightful hearing and vote, any investigations in this area could be characterized as sour grapes or a conflict of interest.

I know Merrick Garland has too much integrity to actually have sour grapes. But, that's what detractors will say and poison the public discourse about Garland.

Because - fuck Republicans.

[triron]

58. I say no way he should tip-toe. Stomp!

[BobTheSubgenius]

54. No matter what Kavanaugh was accused of or proven to have done...

...you have to admire his commitment to beer. To openly sob over his love of it during a "job interview," in front of a live television audience is a serious attachment.

Respect, Brett.

[Blue Owl]

55. Time to trot out this classic chestnut again...

[Faux pas]

57. Kickin'

those of us with critical thinking skills knew it was BS at the time.

[BGBD]

60. Honestly

it's not the FBI's job to do background checks on SCOTUS candidates.

I don't see the benefit of throwing them under the bus for something that was an impossible situation for them to begin with. Conduct a thorough investigation of something that happened 30 years prior, with no first hand witnesses, in a week?

The only body that has a responsibility to vet SCOTUS nominees is the Senate. If the Republicans pushed through somebody with serious problems that we're properly explored, then point the finger at them, not the FBI.

Then again, I'm not sure what we have to gain in this fight. Kav is confirmed and has a lifetime seat save for an impeachment that is never going to succeed. This fight wasn't a good one. for us when it happened and would be even worse now.

[stuffmatters]

61. Good

[BSdetect]

62. k&r

[triron]

63. So whatever happened with the Julie Swetnick complaint??