As Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) decides his vote on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, eyes are also on Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), who had discussions with Flake last Friday that led to Flake demanding a one-week delay in Kavanaugh’s confirmation process for the FBI to investigation sexual misconduct allegations against the judge.
Coons has not yet spoken to Flake about his current thoughts on the confirmation Thursday, when senators were given access to review the FBI report on the investigation.
“We have not spoken to each other since we each had the opportunity to review [the report],” he told reporters.
Asked if Flake had reached out to him, Coons said, “no.”
“I always welcome a chance to talk [to him],” he said.
He went on to praise Flake’s “leadership” and his “taking the risk of insisting on a pause” in the confirmation proceedings as Ford and others came forward with allegations. Flake was also among the Republicans who sought a delay so the Judiciary Committee could hold a hearing last week to hear Ford and Kavanaugh’s testimony.
“I had expected a more robust and broader investigation,” Coons said of the FBI probe, adding that he is still taking to his colleagues about the path forward.
Chris Coons tells reporters he doesn’t have some sort of scheme to concoct a next deal with Jeff Flake.
“I’m just hoping to say, ‘How’s it going? How was your day?’”
— Haley Byrd (@byrdinator) October 4, 2018