Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., announced Tuesday that he will meet with Judge Brett Kavanaugh in mid-August as the Supreme Court nominee begins to meet with Senate Democrats and his talks with senators continue.
Donnelly’s office announced that the Indiana Democrat will sit down with Kavanaugh on August 15 at his office. Further details about the meeting will be announced closer to the meeting date.
[More: Democrat Joe Manchin to meet with Brett Kavanaugh]
According to the senator’s office, Donnelly will “carefully review and consider Judge Kavanaugh’s record, meet with him, and follow his confirmation hearing.”
Donnelly is only the second Senate Democrat to schedule a sit-down with the nominee for Justice Anthony Kennedy’s spot on the Supreme Court. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., a fellow red-state Democrat who is up for re-election in 2018, announced Monday he will meet with Kavanaugh next Monday.
Democrats have been very reluctant to meet with the judge as Republicans look to speed ahead with confirmation hearings and a vote to put him on the bench by the time the court reconvenes in October.
[Opinion: Two weeks later, 0 Democrats have met with Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh]
Senate Democrats have called in recent days for all documents to be made available from Kavanaugh’s years working as the White House staff secretary under former President George W. Bush, citing Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and his call for all papers from the Clinton Library from now-Justice Elena Kagan in 2010.
Grassley has pushed back, citing the many more papers from Kavanaugh’s time as staff secretary than Kagan’s.
Donnelly is one of three Senate Democrats to vote for Justice Neil Gorsuch’s nomination last April, alongside Manchin and Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D. Heitkamp is also up for re-election this year.
