Senate Democrats Have Referred A Secret Letter About Brett Kavanaugh To The FBI

[Mrs. Overall]

Source: BuzzFeed

Senate Democrats on the Judiciary Committee have referred a letter concerning Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh to the FBI.

The contents of the letter have been closely guarded by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, as well as California Rep. Anna Eshoo, who originally received the letter and shared it with Feinstein, according to sources familiar with the matter. But whispers of what it contains have made the rounds across Capitol Hill over the past week.

The attention on it burst into the public when The Intercept published a report on the rumors surrounding the letter on Wednesday.

“This matter has been referred to the FBI for investigation,” Sen. Dick Durbin told BuzzFeed News when asked about the letter on Thursday.

BuzzFeed News contacted the woman believed to be the subject of the letter at her home last week. She declined to comment. BuzzFeed News has not been able to confirm the contents of the letter.

Read more: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/lissandravilla/senate-democrats-have-sent-a-secret-letter-about-brett

[watoos]

1. If it involves sex it's no biggie to Republicans.

Clarence Thomas is living proof of that.

[sdfernando]

17. Perhaps....but

if it also involves a paid abortion then I think things will get really interesting.

[Mira]

31. ...

Abortion?

[RainCaster]

47. A goat wouldn't need an abortion

[Racerdog1]

2. Do whatever it takes!

To keep this slimey ass right wing asshole off of the supreme court.

[DavidDvorkin]

3. Maybe this is juicy

Maybe it's a nothingburger.

Right now, it's a rather juicy nothingburger.

[ffr]

4. If it warrants forwarding to the FBI, it's a somethingburger.

[MelissaB]

6. I agree.

[Hortensis]

30. Yes. For sure a possible somethingburger.

I can't imagine what it would be. However, we know from his background, including all the way back to his joining the Ken Starr investigation, that he's not a man of good character, has broken the law before, and is the kind of person who's prone to extremely conservative views and the kind of dishonesty and ruthlessness required to advance them.

I hope it's not related to sex in any way. The Republicans use that to swiftboat so often that their voters will be unable to even consider that we aren't doing the same.

Something with documents would be nice. Accepting bribes, graft, embezzlement.

[MelissaB]

5. Going out on a limb for a WILD guess

Gambling or Ruling on Trump casino.

If it went to the FBI, I not expecting a nothingburger.

[Gore1FL]

7. I figure it is most likely about perjury or his gambling/gambling debt/gambling debt payoff. nt

[C Moon]

8. Damn! Has any candidate for Supreme Court been as nasty as Kavanaugh? WTF!

Putin doesn't care much about their background and getting them elected—so long as they will join in the puppet show.

[Cosmocat]

33. He is an out and out political hack

Just yet another middle finger from the GOP to america - "we know he is a brazen, partisan POS, and we are putting him up because we can."

[watoos]

9. I mean this Kavanaugh is so far up Trump's ass

it's pretty obvious to everyone. Why didn't Trump just nominate Rudy, I mean Rudy has experience wearing gowns.

[volstork]

42. Rudy has experience wearing gowns.

[Sanity Claws]

10. Why did the letter go to California Rep. Anna Eshoo?

Is it from a constituent? Or maybe it is someone that Eshoo knows personally and the sender knew she would take the letter seriously.
Her district includes Silicon Valley.
Hmmm. I'm looking for clues.

[MelissaB]

12. Spicy has a guess. P

Porn

Link to tweet

The fact that: 1) letter went to a CA House Rep 2) Difi is involved 3) questions to Kavanaugh asking if Judge Kozinski ever sent him porn... I’m going to leave this July 11th thread right here

Link to tweet

Pages 244-246 Kavanaugh categorically denies any and all allegations that the Judge may have sent him porn

[Sanity Claws]

14. That's some mighty fine guesswork

I'd bark up that tree too.

[DeminPennswoods]

20. Two PA Supreme Court justices had to resign

after being caught up in the sending and forwarding of pornmail. Both Michael Eakin (R) and Seamus McCafferty (D, Eagles Court fame) were forced out because they were entangled in the pornmail chains that originated in the PA Atty Gen's office under Corbett.

IIRC, neither of them requested or originated the pornmails, they just got them and shared some.

If this issue is being referred to the FBI, my additional guess is that if it is porn, it may be porn involving underage kids.

[PRETZEL]

27. Forgot about that,

I'm not sure if I'd go with the underage porn (please let it not be that).

But, if he did share porn, and it was on a government issued computer, then possibly I can see the FBI taking a look since District Courts fall under the DOJ.

[Cosmocat]

34. Not ruling that out, but that would not explain the FBI being pulled in

unless it would involve children ...

Can't rule anything out with these lunatics at this point, but ...

[DeminPennswoods]

50. Being reported now that it's related to something

Kavanaugh did in high school. I would think the statute of limitations would apply, but if it is involving high school age kids, that's likely involving an underage girl. That would make sense for the FBI to be involved then.

[Cosmocat]

53. I don't know

That seems like something that would be a referral to a state AG.

Sandusky didn't get prosecuted by the FBI, the AG empaneled a grand jury.

[john657]

58. The FBI has said they have no intention of investigating this letter,

https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/feinstein-says-she-referred-letter-concerning-kavanaugh-to-federal-investigators/2018/09/13/d99cfb1c-b775-11e8-a7b5-adaaa5b2a57f_story.html?utm_term=.ac8c7a7059f9


The only action they've taken is to pass the letter on to the WH to include it in Kavanaugh's background file.

[DeminPennswoods]

60. FBI still has to check it out

but also have to provide it as part of background info to their background check client, the WH.

The FBI is wearing two hats here, one as background checkers and the other as investigators of a potential crime.

[john657]

61. And they have said that they are not opening

an investigation into the allegation.

[DeminPennswoods]

62. That's step one the WP is reporting

The FBI is still obligated to check out the information. That is according to Frank Figluzzi on Maddow's show tonight.

[john657]

63. Apparently they already have and are not going to take it any

further plus, the author of the letter wants to remain anonymous and wants no further action taken.

[Yupster]

65. My guess

The reason Di Fi sent it to the FBI is that she didn't know what else to do with it.

If it involves something that happened in high school (the rumor I heard was he locked a girl in a room during a party) what is she supposed to do with it? If she gives it to the local attorney general, it goes nowhere because of statute of limitations.

If she sits on it, she's a villain for hiding damaging information. So she turned it over to the FBI. They said thanks, we'll put this in his file.

[csziggy]

56. Does the FBI investigate perjury in front of Congress?

The document in the tweet has a section with DiFi quesitoning Kavanaugh about his knowledge of Judge Kozinski's sexual harassment. He testified under oath that he had no knowledge prior to it coming out in public. If one of the complainants wrote the letter to notify DiFi that Kavanaugh KNEW about the harassment at the time it happened, then Kavanaugh perjured himself.

[bucolic_frolic]

11. Rumors fly all the time but to be taken seriously there must be some

degree of believability or credibility. This one seems to warrant investigation. Not a witch hunt, in other words

[Timmygoat]

15. I am beginning to trust nothing

Could it be some wild theory, made by the rethugs to in some way accuse the dems of spreading lies about the nominee? That way they could say the dems would do anything to stop the vote.

[truthisfreedom]

13. Everyone 45 gets near is corrupt.

[Stonepounder]

16. The letter was originally sent to Eshoo by a constituent.

The woman is now being represented by an attorney and the attorney has advised her not to speak about it. There was an OP about it yesterday but I can't find it now.

[Hekate]

18. Many people are asking if there's a goat involved. Many people say that. nt

[getagrip_already]

22. many people refer to it as a lamb, not a goat.......

many people.

[watoos]

23. OMG

too funny. That made me belly laugh.

[olegramps]

29. Did he buy hip boots at the local Walmart?

[olegramps]

32. Is it true that he was seen gargling and washing his hands with holy water?

[lagomorph777]

44. Peeing in the holy water fountain?

Some say, I heard...

[PunkinPi]

19. Possibly this...

Link to tweet

This article works really hard to imply, without directly saying, that Feinstein is sitting on a letter that implicates Kavanaugh in a sexual harassment or assault scandal from his youth. https://theintercept.com/2018/09/12/brett-kavanaugh-confirmation-dianne-feinstein/ …
8:29 PM - Sep 12, 2018

https://theintercept.com/2018/09/12/brett-kavanaugh-confirmation-dianne-feinstein/

From The Intercept article (link above):

The woman who is the subject of the letter is now being represented by Debra Katz, a whistleblower attorney who works with #MeToo survivors. Joseph Abboud, an attorney at Katz’s firm, said that the firm was declining to comment. Emma Crisci, a spokesperson for Eshoo, declined to comment on the letter her office sent to Feinstein, saying that the office has a confidentiality policy when it comes to constituent casework. A spokesperson for Feinstein did not respond to requests for comment.

[getagrip_already]

25. from his youth - statute of limitations would have expired long ago.....

it must be something he can be prosecuted for now.

maybe the woman was a child at the time. But then it would be a state police matter, not an fbi matter.

It has to have something to do with federal law, and it has to be current enough to be prosecuted.....

[Cosmocat]

36. Yep

If it was something sexual, unless it would be something that was pretty broad sweeping, crossed state lines, child porn ring or something, you are correct, does not explain why the FBI would involved.

[PunkinPi]

46. Regardless of the statute of limitations, here's why it matters...

When Supreme Court nominees are selected, they go through a whole lot more than just a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. They also go through a rigorous vetting process by the FBI, which includes hours of interviews. According to a PBS News Hour report:

Prospective justices are put through the nation’s most thorough background check, an invasive process where nothing is off-limits. After all, a surprise dredged up later could scuttle confirmation. So candidates’ taxes, writings, childhoods, business dealings, medical histories and, yes, love lives, are all scrutinized for potential red flags.

That means that federal investigators may have asked Kavanaugh questions about any crimes he may have committed or been accused of, as well as questions about past romantic relationships. If Kavanaugh had been accused of criminal activity–particularly sexual misconduct–in his past, and he lied about it during the vetting process, that itself could be grounds for criminal charges for providing a false statement to federal investigators.

https://lawandcrime.com/opinion/this-could-be-why-dems-went-to-fbi-over-mysterious-kavanaugh-letter/

[getagrip_already]

54. hmmm, thanks....

I didn't know that.

But it begs the question. How did DiFi know?

She certainly wouldn't be privy to questions the FBI did or didn't ask, so how would she know he lied to the FBI?

Still, very interesting. Since it would also cover his prior testimony to congressional committee's.

[Iliyah]

28. And GOPers already know about this if true . . .

GOPers do not care. GOPer's Gawd always forgives them no matter what. They are Gawd's chosen in the good ole USA.

GOPers are above the law say religious psychos because, no law is above their Gawd's law.

Thanks for the additional information , and the SC justice procedure have been tainted starting in most part with Garland.

[onetexan]

21. HuffPost just posted it as well - article link

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/dianne-feinstein-brett-kavanaugh-document_us_5b9a90eee4b01151973bca90

[4139]

24. The lawyer: "employment discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful discharge, Sarbanes-Oxley, corpo

https://www.kmblegal.com/attorneys-and-staff/debra-katz

[ScratchCat]

26. Wouldn't something

"from his youth" be beyond the statute of limitations? This has to be something other than someone making an allegation that he did something many years ago, or it wouldn't be forwarded to the FBI. Those would be State crimes anyway. I know nothing and hate to start rumors by speculation, but it either has to be a)something more recent than "in his youth" or b)has something to do with perjury. A likely theory is that BK forwarded her the porn he claims he never received from that judge - thus he perjured himself.

[watoos]

35. It all depends

how old the girl was. There are ways around the statute of limitations if this happened in California.

[Cosmocat]

37. And, if it was an isolated sexual incident

Not sure why the FBI would be referred, if it happened in Cali, that would be a referral to the state ag.

[PunkinPi]

40. According to The Intercept article (posted above #19)

Different sources provided different accounts of the contents of the letter, and some of the sources said they themselves had heard different versions, but the one consistent theme was that it describes an incident involving Kavanaugh and a woman while they were in high school. Kept hidden, the letter is beginning to take on a life of its own.

[IphengeniaBlumgarten]

51. Speculating... but attempts to bury this incident might reach into the present...

Suppose things like blackmail or threats of bodily harm for speaking out? That might explain the FBI's current involvement. But, as I say, this is speculation.

[csziggy]

57. Lying about it during the vetting for Supreme Court would not be

Past the statute of limitations. Lying to federal law enforcement is a crime in itself.

[Mr.Bill]

38. And I'm sure the FBI will wrap up their investigation

about six months after he is confirmed and sitting on the Supreme Court.

[Farmer-Rick]

41. Yeah, unless your name is Hillary, the FBI wont act on it untill

The criminal is firmly ensconced in a position of power.

Just don't let those emails from the state dept be routed through a non government server or else they may act on every imaginary issue.

[Cousin Dupree]

39. I love it when Dems.play hardball.

[Calista241]

43. Well, if the NYT is right, it's about an event while both parties were students in high school

And if Clarence Thomas was able to get on the court with Anita Hill talking about it in front of the Judiciary committee, an anonymous letter is even less likely to affect the outcome of this nomination.

[NJCher]

48. that was another day, another time

the thinking on this matter is considerably different now. If you doubt it, Google "CBS executives fired."

[Calista241]

49. Yeah, but we're dealing with Republicans here.

CBS executives were dealing with public opinion, public backlash, and moral obligation.

[trueblue2007]

45. Sex with an animal?? Kavanaugh likes Kangaroos ??

[Hekate]

52. Many are wondering if goats played a role in his youth. If the FBI finds no evidence...

...they should send out a senior official saying "No evidence of Judge Kavanaugh fcking goats recently has been found." Otherwise people will be left to wonder.

[trueblue2007]

55. goats? Oh Noes........ how cruel

[DeminPennswoods]

59. O'Donnell had a lot of info on this

He reported that he had been told about the letter last Friday, but he thought it would never become public because the writer had asked to remain anonymous and did not want to get involved. O'Donnell said the incident involves sexual assault of a minor (both could have been minors) when Kavanaugh was in high school.

Frank Figluzzi was on with Maddow and he thought that with as many background checks as Kavanaugh has been through that the FBI might already have checked this out somewhere down the line. In fact, he said he'd be surprised if they hadn't run across it at some point. However, if this incident happened when Kavanaugh was a teenager and the victim was too scared or ashamed to come forward until now, I can't see how the FBI would have been aware. I seriously doubt any of Kavanaugh's friends or classmates (all males) who might have known would've ratted him out.

[Calista241]

64. The Guardian has more info:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/sep/13/brett-kavanaugh-dianne-feinstein-confidential-letter

“That individual strongly requested confidentiality, declined to come forward or press the matter further, and I have honored that decision. I have, however, referred the matter to federal investigative authorities,” she said.

A source who said they were briefed on the contents of the letter said it described an incident involving Kavanaugh and a woman that took place when both were 17 years old and at a party. According to the source, Kavanaugh and a male friend had locked her in a room against her will, making her feel threatened, but she was able to get out of the room. The Guardian has not verified the apparent claims in the letter. It is not yet clear who wrote it.

While additional details about the letter were scarce, two media outlets have reported that the person who wrote the letter is being represented by an attorney, Debra Katz, who has been described in media reports as Washington’s #MeToo lawyer.

Katz has not responded to a request for comment from the Guardian. BuzzFeed reported that she was seen on Capitol Hill on Wednesday night, shortly after the Intercept first reported the existence of the letter.

[DeminPennswoods]

66. O'Donnell was also briefed on the contents of the letter

and made whatever happened out to be more serious than this, although scary, would seem to be.

[Calista241]

67. If the Guardian report is accurate, we're going to look like idiots IMO.

I can't think of a single person that didn't have a fumbling, awkward, tentative first sexual encounter as a teenager. There's no classes that teach people how to get to first or second base.