WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House has given the FBI clearance to interview anyone it wants to by Friday in its investigation of sexual misconduct allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
The new guidance, described to The Associated Press by a person familiar with it, was issued to the FBI over the weekend in response to Democratic and news media pushback that the scope of the probe was too narrow.
It comes as the FBI presses ahead with its investigation, questioning in recent days at least four people about accusations of misconduct against Kavanaugh dating to when he was in high school and college. Among the witnesses interviewed were men who California college professor Christine Blasey Ford says were present at a party of teenagers in the early 1980s at which she says she was sexually assaulted by Kavanaugh.
President Donald Trump, addressing concerns about the probe’s expansiveness at a news conference Monday, said he wants the FBI to do a “comprehensive” investigation and “it wouldn’t bother me at all” if agents pursued accusations made by three women who have come forward. But he also said Senate Republicans are determining the parameters of the investigation and “ultimately, they’re making the judgment.”
“My White House will do whatever the senators want,” Trump said. “The one thing I want is speed.”
The White House instructed the FBI to interview anyone it deems relevant to the inquiry, but required the work to be done by Friday, according to the person familiar with the discussions, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.
Read more at: https://www.apnews.com/abf7669fc562493fa7ecbc603f1b1825/White-House-tells-FBI-it-can-talk-to-anyone-about-Kavanaugh
