Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said Thursday she has referred a matter involving Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh to “federal investigative authorities,” but declined to provide further details on the information she received.
“I have received information from an individual concerning the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court,” Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement. “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.”
Feinstein’s statement follows a report published by The Intercept on Wednesday describing a letter the California senator was given by Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif. Eshoo received the letter from a person affiliated with Stanford University, which describes a matter relayed to that person, according to The Intercept.
[White House: Feinstein is trying for an ’11th hour’ delay of Kavanaugh]
The letter reportedly details an incident involving Kavanaugh and a woman that dates back to their high school days. Sources told the New York Times the letter includes a sexual misconduct allegation.
A spokesman for the Senate Judiciary Committee said Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, is aware of Feinstein’s referral.
“At this time, he has not seen the letter in question, and is respecting the request for confidentiality,” George Hartmann, the spokesman, said in an emailed statement. “There’s no plan to change the committee’s consideration of Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination.”
White House spokeswoman Kerri Kupec noted that Kavanaugh participated in 65 meetings with senators, including Feinstein, sat through more than 24 hours of testimony, and answered more than 2,000 questions both in public and private.
“Not until the eve of his confirmation has Sen. Feinstein or anyone raised the specter of new ‘information’ about him,” Kupec said in a statement.
She also said that over the course of his 25-year career in public service, Kavanaugh has been vetted by the FBI “for some of the most highly sensitive roles.” Kavanaugh worked in the Office of Independent Counsel for Kenneth Starr during the Clinton administration and the White House in the White House Counsel’s Office and as staff secretary for President George W. Bush. He has been a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit since 2006.
“Senator Schumer promised to ‘oppose Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination with everything I have,’ and it appears he is delivering with this 11th hour attempt to delay his confirmation,” Kupec said.
Kavanaugh was nominated to fill Justice Anthony Kennedy’s vacancy on the Supreme Court.
[Opinion: Dianne Feinstein’s announcement about Brett Kavanaugh and the FBI smells like a political stunt]
