Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) postured Saturday when he wrote a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) asking the FBI to probe the truthfulness of answers Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's gave during last Thursday's emotional hearing.
"In order for the FBI investigation regarding Judge Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to be complete, it is imperative the bureau must not only look into the accusations made by Dr. [Christine Blasey] Ford, Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick, it should also examine the veracity of his testimony before the Judiciary Committee," Sanders wrote.
Noting that lying to Congress is a crime, Sanders outlined nine specific instances he believes should be investigated, including five from Kavanaugh's earlier Senate confirmations in 2004 and 2006, and four from Kavanaugh's testimony last week. Each of Sanders' requests stem from unsubstantiated claims.
Grassley responded to Sanders' letter late Saturday night, putting the very obvious political ploy to bed.
The longtime Iowa lawmaker came out swinging. He began his response by noting that on July 10, less than 24 hours after President Donald Trump announced Kavanaugh's nomination, Sanders publicly remarked, "[w]e must mobilize the American people to defeat" Kavanaugh.
Reminding Sanders that all senators have had access to 307 Kavanaugh court decisions, over 500,000 documents, over 40 hours of live testimony, and "more answers to written questions than every prior Supreme Court nominee combined," he condemned Sanders for his rush to judgement.
"Nevertheless, you made your decision on this nomination in less than 24 hours," Grassley wrote.
He added:
Your public statements clearly reveal how unimportant it is to you to review any facts related to this nomination. So you can imagine my surprise at receiving your letter regarding the supplemental FBI background investigation. This supplemental FBI background investigation was requested by undecided members of both parties. Am I to take from your letter that you are now undecided and seriously willing to engage with the Senate’s advice-and-consent constitutional duties related to the nomination of Judge Kavanaugh to serve as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States? If so, we should have a conversation about what information you need to assist you in making your decision, and I look forward to that conversation.
Grassley concluded the letter with a thunderous one-liner.
"I appreciate your raising concerns, which others have already raised, at this 11th hour," he wrote.
