DOJ: Not FBI’s Job To Judge Kavanaugh Allegation, There’s No ‘Federal Crime’

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 17: Attorney General Jeff Sessions speaks at the Justice Department September 17, 2018 in Washington, DC. Sessions spoke about Department of Justice efforts to support free speech on colleg... WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 17: Attorney General Jeff Sessions speaks at the Justice Department September 17, 2018 in Washington, DC. Sessions spoke about Department of Justice efforts to support free speech on college campuses. (Photo by Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department says the sexual assault allegation against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh “does not involve any potential federal crime” for the FBI to investigate.

The department said in a statement Monday night that the FBI’s role during background investigations is to evaluate whether the nominee could pose a national security risk and then provide that information “for the use of the decision makers.”

The department says it’s not the job of the FBI to judge the significance or the credibility of an accusation.

In the case of Kavanaugh, the FBI received a letter Sept. 12 with allegations of misconduct in the 1980s, when both Kavanaugh and his accuser were teenagers.

The Justice Department says the FBI forwarded the letter to the White House counsel’s office.

Latest News

Notable Replies

  1. Avatar for jmacaz jmacaz says:

    I think old JeffBo is correct here… The investigation should be done by congress … the applicable charge is lying to congress

  2. These people make me want to vomit.

    They have no sense of decency.

  3. But who does the background check on possible hires? Isn’t it always the FBI? If they bow out, who actually investigates?

  4. Sessions could have–and would have–made precisely the same argument about lynching.

  5. Sessions went on to note the FBI only investigates Legitimate rape.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

25 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for paulw Avatar for dr_coyote Avatar for ajoguy Avatar for daveminnj Avatar for eggrollian Avatar for teenlaqueefa Avatar for bonvivant Avatar for maxaroo Avatar for andycahn Avatar for keninmn Avatar for dryheat Avatar for jonney_5 Avatar for asulger Avatar for morrigan_2575 Avatar for matthew_tanner Avatar for jtx Avatar for jacksonhts Avatar for jmacaz Avatar for qwerty23 Avatar for christiandemocrat Avatar for bruce1960 Avatar for jmnly

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: