A GOP Senator suspects Schumer of being behind the publication of Ford's letter

Sen. Tom CottonThomas (Tom) Bryant CottonGOP confident: Collins will support Kavanaugh Kavanaugh advance in key vote in Senate Sasse: I encouraged Trump to pick someone else than Kavanaugh MORE (R-Ark.) Said on Tuesday that he "strongly suspected" the democratic leader of the Senate Charles SchumerCharles (Chuck) Ellis Schumer Five lessons to remember from the first debate in Indiana Senate Live coverage: Donnelly and Braun face in Indiana the debate on Kavanaugh: Resist the "resistance" or lose MORE (N.Y.) was behind the escape from an explosive letter that almost derailed Brett Kavanaugh's appointment to the Supreme Court.

Cotton did not provide any direct evidence in support of his claim, although he pointed out what he thought were suspicious circumstances surrounding the leak.

Cotton and Sen. Ted CruzRafael (Ted) Edward CruzNYT: Rick Gates has sought the use of fake identities online in the 2016 Trump campaign Countdown to the elections: a mid-term fight heats up around Kavanaugh | McConnell sees a live base | Dems count on women to take over House | How the voters of the suburbs could decide to control the Congress | Taylor Swift Supports Tennessee Dems | Poll: Cruz tops 5 in Texas Poll in advance to Cruz 5 points on O 'Rourke Texas PLUS (R-Texas) asked for an investigation into how a letter from Christine Blasey Ford alleging that Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her in high school had been made public, despite Ford's wishes.

"I think the Schumer political operation was behind all this from the beginning," Cotton told the conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt in an interview. Tuesday.

A spokesman for Schumer described the accusation as a "fairy tale".

Cotton has noted recent media reports that Monica McLean, a friend of Ford, has pressured a key witness, Leland Keyser, to change her statement to the FBI that she would not remember the part where Kavanaugh was accused of attacking Ford.

"We learned last week that a woman, Monica McClean, was Mrs. Ford's roommate and that she was one of the so-called beach friends who encouraged Mrs. Ford to go to Dianne FeinsteinDianne Emiel FeinsteinGe, legislator, suggests to Dem. To Disclose Ford's Confidential Letter to Kavanaugh: Resisting "Resistance" or Losing Kavanaugh to Justice Will Only Ask About Ford PLUS and partisan Democrats sitting on the Judiciary Committee, "said Cotton, referring to Senator Dianne Feinstein (California), the highest democrat on the judicial panel.

Cotton said the fact that McClean had previously worked for the former US Attorney for the South District of New York Preet BhararaPreetinder (Preet) Singh BhararaPreet Bharara wonders if Trump will respect the presidential warning system. Republicans change course after their outside lawyer blurs Budowsky: if Dems gain control of Congress, CONTINUE indicates that Schumer's political operation was involved in the leak, as Bharara was working for Schumer at Capitol Hill.

"So, I strongly suspect that Chuck SchumerCharles (Chuck) Ellis Schumer Five lessons to remember from the first debate in Indiana Senate Live coverage: Donnelly and Braun face in Indiana the debate on Kavanaugh: Resist the "resistance" or lose MOREThe government's political operations were aware of Ms. Ford's allegations as early as July and have been manipulating the process from the beginning, "he said.

Matt House, a spokesman for Schumer, rejected the theory and questioned Cotton's credibility.

"Another fairy tale of Senator Cotton, reminiscent of his trip to the White House when he lied about what the president said about immigrants from Africa," House said, referring to at a White House meeting in January at which Cotton was present when Trump asked why the United States should accept immigrants from "shitty country".

Cotton first stated that he "had not heard any derogatory comments about people or people" at this meeting, but then acknowledged: "I've never denied the fact that there was no vulgar language in the room used by many people ".

Cotton, Cruz and other Republicans insist that Ford's letter be made public after she has asked Feinstein to keep his name confidential.

Feinstein repeatedly denied having disclosed the letter and stated that his staff did not either.

Cotton last month called for an investigation of Feinstein and his staff.

"There is a well-established privacy process in this committee," said Cotton on September 30 to John Dickerson of CBS News. "Dianne Feinstein and her staff are going to be investigated for the reasons they have disclosed this information."

Cruz recently told reporters that if the Democrats disclosed the letter, "it was false, cynical and unethical."

He said his Republican colleagues were discussing who should conduct an investigation into the case.

Cotton also asked Ford's lawyers, Debra Katz and Lisa Banks, to be investigated by the DC Bar Association for failing to inform their client that investigators of the judicial panel were willing to fly away. in California to interrogate her privately instead of making her testify in public. before the committee in open session.

Feinstein recently told reporters that "I have not broken any laws" and called Cotton's call for a "rather ridiculous" investigation.

She also told colleagues on the Judiciary Committee when Kavanaugh testified before the committee earlier this month that neither she nor her staff had disclosed Ford's letter.

Feinstein said he kept the document confidential in respect of Ford's wishes and did not know how its existence became public.

-Updated at 16:32