Campaign Action
Despite the New York Times' own appalling initial dismissal of the story, the revelation of yet another witness to sexual misconduct—or assault—by a frequently drunken college "beer liker" Brett Kavanaugh is a big deal. A former Yale classmate told Times reporters that he, too, was at a party in which Kavanaugh exposed himself to a female student, and in which his classmates forced that student's hand into contact with his penis. It further solidifies the credibility of Yale classmate Deborah Ramirez, who came forward after Kavanaugh was nominated to the Supreme Court with a nearly identical story.
Just as significantly, former classmate Max Stier told the Times that he informed senators and the FBI both of what he witnessed—but that the FBI did not investigate. This further highlights one of the other scandals of the Kavanaugh confirmation, the demands by Senate Republicans and the direct orders of the Trump White House forbidding the FBI from looking into the accusations against Kavanaugh exposed after his nomination. Coupled with Kavanaugh's numerous lies during his own testimony, it has again exposed the illegitimacy of Kavanaugh's instillation onto the court.
Multiple top Democrats are now calling for new action. Presidential candidate Julian Castro was blunt: "It's more clear than ever that Brett Kavanaugh lied under oath. He should be impeached. And Congress should review the failure of the Department of Justice to properly investigate the matter."
Fellow candidate Kamala Harris also emphasized the need for impeachment. Kavanaugh "lied to the U.S. Senate and more importantly to the American people. He was put on the Court through a sham process and his place on the Court is an insult to the pursuit of truth and justice. He must be impeached."
Sen. Elizabeth Warren: "Like the man who appointed him, Kavanaugh should be impeached."
Candidate Amy Klobuchar was less direct on This Week, saying the confirmation process was "a sham" but that impeachment would require "getting the documents", and "the attorney general is shielding the documents." But she too said that the Department of Justice should be investigated by Congress for those acts.
There is no real question that Kavanaugh, now sitting on the Court, did indeed lie repeatedly during his confirmation hearings. There are also continued questions about Kavanaugh's finances, after $200,000 of Kavanaugh's debt was mysteriously paid off by a still-unknown someone as an apparent effort to assist in his confirmation. The Senate and White House corruption of blocking, outright, further investigation of Kavanaugh's multiple accusers and their witnesses, requires both a thorough probe and, for those that led it, consequences.
The impeachment of Bill Barr, who continues to act against the nation in service to stifling investigations of Republican corruption, may be a necessary first step.
But removal of Kavanaugh from the Court is at this point required. He is a liar. He lied during his own confirmation hearings about a history of severe drinking problems and of a pattern of sexual assaults. He relied on misconduct by his supporters to evade responsibility. The Court and its rulings cannot be considered legitimate so long as Brett Kavanaugh remains.