September 28, 2018

Senate Judiciary Committee Asks White House to Open FBI Probe Into Kavanaugh

Mark Judge, a key witness, said he was willing to talk to investigators.

Erin Schaff/ZUMA

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The Senate Judiciary Committee on Friday formally requested the White House open an FBI investigation into the sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. 

“The supplemental FBI background investigation would be limited to current credible allegations against the nominee and must be completed no later than one week from today,” the committee said in a statement.

It’s unclear how the committee will define “current credible allegations.” Three women have publicly come forward with allegations against Kavanaugh. The announcement follows a last-ditch call from Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) to delay the confirmation process until an FBI investigation is completed. He was joined by Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Joe Manchin (D-W.V.).

Despite the request for an investigation, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) said the Senate will move forward with a procedural vote Saturday to begin debate on Kavanaugh’s confirmation. A lawyer for Mark Judge, the only other witness to Christine Blasey Ford’s alleged assault, said his client was willing to cooperate with investigators as long as it was done “confidentially.” 

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WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

“This could be the first time a corporation would be held criminally liable for forced labor in their own supply chains,” according to a retired special agent we talked to.

Wow.

And it is only because Mother Jones is funded primarily by donations from readers that we can mount ambitious, yearlong—or more—investigations like these two stories that are making waves.

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