The White House is actively limiting the scope of the FBI’s investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against its Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, according to reporting by The Wall Street Journal and NBC News.
The Bureau will examine allegations made by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and by Deborah Ramirez, but has been blocked from speaking with Julie Swetnick.
NBC News reports late Saturday afternoon that “the bureau has not been permitted to investigate” Swetnick’s allegations, adding that a “White House official confirmed that Swetnick’s claims will not be pursued as part of the reopened background investigation into Kavanaugh.”
READ: JULIE SWETNICK’S SWORN DECLARATION ACCUSING KAVANAUGH OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT
Swetnick alleges Kavanaugh and his friend Mark Judge used drugs and alcohol to incapacitate women so they could be gang raped by a “train” of young men.
Swetnick is represented by Stormy Daniels’ attorney Michael Avenatti, who repeatedly has engaged in mutual attacks with President Trump. Avenatti sued Trump’s and his personal attorney, Michael Cohen, and won.
“Instead of investigating Swetnick’s claims, the White House counsel’s office has given the FBI a list of witnesses they are permitted to interview,” NBC News notes, adding that its sources have “characterized the White House instructions as a significant constraint on the FBI investigation and caution that such a limited scope, while not unusual in normal circumstances, may make it difficult to pursue additional leads in a case in which a Supreme Court nominee has been accused of sexual assault.”
Legal experts are expressing outrage.
One, Leah Litman, an assistant law professor at UC Irvine School of Law calls it “just appalling.”
Many others are speaking out as well.
The former head of U.S. Dept. of Justice Civil Rights Division under President Barack Obama:
The Director of the Inanna Project, a non-profit advocating for Equal Pay, the ERA, and equal protection under the law:
MSNBC Justice & Security Analyst:
Senior Vice President for Social Justice at The New School and an NBC News and MSNBC legal analyst: