Alabama Democratic Sen. Doug Jones predicted on Sunday that Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination for the Supreme Court would move forward following an anonymous accusation of sexual misconduct from his high school days.
“I think you are going to see this nomination move forward,” Jones said on CNN’s “State of the Union”. “There’s really not much that can be done unless this person comes forward and you can see this and talk to the person who wrote that letter.”
Jones said he would bring up the accusation if he gets a chance to meet with Kavanaugh and is otherwise still deliberating on his vote for the Supreme Court choice.
CNN reported on Friday that California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein had received a letter from a woman who wished to remain anonymous, saying that while in high school, Kavanaugh pushed her into a bedroom at a party, locked her in the room along with another male and tried to remove her clothes. Kavanaugh denied the allegation in a statement.
Jones called the situation “very difficult” and said he wished it had been brought up earlier in the confirmation process.
“I think at this late date, we’re going to have to wait and see if this person decides to come forward to test that in the light of day,” Jones said.
Jones compared the case to his own Senate race last year, in which his Republican opponent Roy Moore was accused of sexual misconduct by a series of women, which likely helped tank Moore’s Senate bid in the generally Republican state.
Jones’ vote is one of several receiving heavy scrutiny, and he offered no firm indication either way Sunday on how he ultimately would vote.
Illinois Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin previously told CNN that he wanted to delay a vote on Kavanaugh until all information was before the Senate Judiciary Committee. In a series of tweets over the weekend, Durbin called on Republicans to delay the committee vote set for Thursday until more of Kavanaugh’s record was released and added that “it is up to survivors of sexual assault alone to decide whether to come forward.”
Democratic senators have repeatedly called for the release of documents from Kavanaugh’s time as a top White House aide to President George W. Bush that have been withheld as privileged information.
Meanwhile, Louisiana Republican Sen. John Kennedy said on “Fox News Sunday” that the review process for Kavanaugh thus far had “pretty much been an intergalactic freak show,” citing the opposition from committee Democrats and protesters during the hearing. He also pointed out that the allegation had not become public until recently despite Feinstein having received the letter earlier this year.
“Senator Feinstein’s had the letter since July, for three months,” Kennedy said. “She said nothing — nothing, zero, nada, zilch.”
