Senator: ‘No court in this country’ would accept GOP’s Kavanaugh secrecy

Republicans in the Senate are trying to push Trump’s Supreme Court nominee through without reviewing 90 percent of his record, but Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) called them out for trying to do what no court in America would ever allow.

At Tuesday morning’s confirmation hearing for Judge Brett Kavanaugh, Leahy asked, “What is being hidden and why?”

He pointed out that even the few documents the committee has received were handpicked by Bill Burck, an attorney representing Trump world figures embroiled in the Russia probe who was also a friend and former colleague of Kavanaugh’s in the Bush White House.

“Documents that have been provided to the committee contain apparent alterations and omissions, with zero explanation,” Leahy said, and added, “No court in this country, certainly no court that I ever argue a case before, would accept this as a legitimate document production. And the United States Senate shouldn’t, either.”

Democrats have been demanding access to Kavanaugh documents for months, but those demands have been rejected by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, and stonewalled by unprecedented claims to executive privilege from Trump’s Department of Justice.

So far, Democrats have been united in their opposition to allowing Kavanaugh’s hearing to proceed. Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee made several motions to adjourn and delay the confirmation, calling it a “mockery.”

Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) pointed out that “we wouldn’t hire an intern” with such an incomplete resume, let alone a lifetime Supreme Court appointment. Even with only a tiny percentage of Kavanaugh’s records available, support for Kavanaugh’s nomination is at a historic low with the American people. There’s no telling how low that support would go if Americans got to see what Republicans are hiding.

Senate Republicans may be stubbornly determined to push through Trump’s nominee, but they aren’t going to accomplish this without a fight. The stakes are too high.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.