American Bar Association Requests Senate Suspend Kavanaugh Vote Until an FBI Investigation Is Completed

After a day-long hearing in which the Senate Judiciary Committee questioned Christine Blasey Ford and the shouty man she has accused of sexually assaulting her, Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, the American Bar Association weighed in.

CNN reports that on Thursday evening the ABA called upon the Senate to suspend its consideration of Kavanaugh’s nomination, which is set to be voted upon by the committee on Friday, until an FBI investigation into sexual assault accusations brought by Dr. Ford “and others” has been completed.

The letter—written by the organization’s president Robert Carlson and addressed to Senate judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley and Senator Dianne Feinstein—explains that this request has come about “because of the ABA’s respect for the rule of law and due process under law.” It continues:

“The basic principles that underscore the Senate’s constitutional duty of advice and consent on federal judicial nominees require nothing less than a careful examination of the accusations and facts by the FBI. Each appointment to our nation’s Highest Court (as with all others) is simply too important to rush a vote. Deciding to proceed without conducting additional investigation would not only have a lasting impact on the Senate’s reputation, but it will also negatively affect the great trust necessary for the American people to have in the Supreme Court.”

CNN points out that the letter is remarkable give that the ABA bestowed upon Kavanaugh its highest rating of a unanimous “well-qualified” for the position; it’s a distinction that Kavanaugh even brought up during Thursday’s hearing (he also talked an awful lot about how he’d “busted his butt” to get where he is).

So far, Republicans have denied Democrats’ requests for an FBI investigation into Dr. Ford’s accusations. Dr. Ford’s lawyers also asked that such an investigation take place last week.