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A centrist Democrat and two Republican colleagues argued on Sunday that a decades-old allegation of sexual misconduct against Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh should have been raised earlier in the Senate and predicted that this would not prevent the continue his appointment to the Supreme Court. .
In television interviews, Sens. Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Thom Tillis (RN.C.) and John Neely Kennedy (R-La.) Were concerned that a letter describing the allegation that Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) Was not shared with other legislators earlier in the Kavanaugh nomination process. Kavanaugh said that he "categorically and unequivocally" denies the prosecution.
The evolution of the situation marked the final chapter in a long-running battle over President Trump's second presidential candidate for the Supreme Court, which is becoming increasingly divided as the final stages approach.
The content of the July letter has drawn the public's attention in recent reports. The letter details a charge of a woman who said that she was at a party with Kavanaugh while they were both in high school, according to someone familiar with the subject. The alleged misconduct occurred after Kavanaugh and the woman went to a room with a friend of Kavanaugh, said the person, on condition of anonymity, to discuss a sensitive issue.
[[[[An author of Kavanaugh's letter talks about his allegation of sexual assault]
Feinstein, the highest member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, who manages appointments to the Supreme Court, issued Sunday an editorial in the Los Angeles Times officializing his opposition to Kavanaugh's nomination.
Senator Doug Jones (D-Ala.), A potentially decisive vote that did not announce he would support the appointment of Kavanaugh, said he hoped to meet with the judge and intends to inform him of " the very serious allegation ". they are able to speak.
"But at this point, it's an anonymous letter, you will not really be able to test it unless someone presents more information," Jones said on " the state of the Union ". it should have been raised, at least in camera "and" I would have liked someone to talk about it very early. " This could perhaps be clarified.
Jones predicted that Kavanaugh's appointment would go ahead unless additional information is revealed. "I think that an anonymous letter, to derail something at this late date, is just not a good practice. And I do not think that will happen, "he said.
Senate Republican leaders intend to confirm Kavanaugh before the High Court begins its fall session next month. They gave no indication that the allegation will alter their plans. The Judiciary Committee plans to vote on his appointment this week, with leading Republicans seeking to advance him to the Senate.
Tillis, who is a member of the Judiciary Committee, said it was "shocked" that the allegation was not raised at Kavanaugh's public or private confirmation hearings. He said that he had not seen the letter and planned to ask more information about the timing of its publication. Tillis said that he believed Kavanaugh was going to win the Senate's confirmation.
"The questions we will ask and look for answers next week are:" Why sit for weeks? We understand that the person who wrote the letter does not want to come forward. So we have a confidential witness who does not want to sit at least in a closed setting – that's problematic for me, "said Tillis on CBS's" Face The Nation ".
Kennedy, who also sits on the Judiciary Committee, denounced Feinstein for his criticism.
"Senator Feinstein had the letter since July," he told Fox News Sunday. "For three months she said nothing, nothing, nothing, nada, zilch. She did not say anything during the confirmation hearing, she said nothing in our confidential meeting with Judge Kavanaugh when the senators and candidates met privately. And now that everything is finished, she produces the letter.
The letter, which was sent to Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-Calif.), Was then passed on to Feinstein, said people familiar with the subject. The other Democrats on the Judiciary Committee first learned the contents of the letter at a last-minute meeting last Wednesday night.
Some Democrats had privately pressed Feinstein about it as rumors about his existence began to circulate. As the newsletters pointed out, Feinstein issued a statement Thursday in which she claimed to have passed information on Kavanaugh to federal authorities.
In his Sunday editorial, Feinstein accuses Kavanaugh of being too ideological and refers to the allegation of sexual misconduct.
"The judges of the Supreme Court should not be an extension of the Republican Party. They must also have unquestionable character and integrity, and serious questions remain about Judge Kavanaugh, as indicated in the information I mentioned to the FBI, "Feinstein wrote. "For these reasons and for other reasons detailed below, I strongly oppose the appointment of Justice Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court."
Tom Mentzer, spokesperson for Feinstein, said last week that the senator "took these allegations seriously and felt they should be public," but "the woman in question made it clear that she did not want that this information is public ".
Republicans have a Senate advantage of 51 to 49 over Democrats. Many Democratic senators have declared their opposition to Kavanaugh, but no Republican has publicly opposed him.
The two most watched GOP Senators are Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska). Act last year. Neither of them said how she plans to vote for Kavanaugh.
In addition to Jones, whose outstanding electoral victory in 2017 came in a very conservative state, a trio of moderate Democrats, facing re-election this year, is also under the microscope. Senators Joe Donnelly (Ind.), Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.) and Joe Manchin III (W.Va.) race in the states that Trump won with double-digit percentages and are under pressure to support his nominees and his diary.
Last year, all three broke with their party to vote in favor of Trump's first Supreme Court nominee, Judge Neil M. Gorsuch.
Felicia Sonmez and Seung Min Kim contributed to this report.
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