Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley released a letter he and ranking member Dianne Feinstein received, which was signed by 65 women who say they knew Judge Brett Kavanaugh from when he was a teenager in high school.
The letter comes in the wake of Senate Democrats revealing they had referred a complaint about President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee to the FBI for investigation. The complaint surfaced from a woman who accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct when both were in high school over 30 years ago. Kavanaugh attended the all-boys Georgetown Preparatory school in Rockville, Maryland.
The letter reads:
Dear Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member Feinstein,
We are women who have known Brett Kavanaugh for more than 35 years and knew him while he attended high school between 1979 and 1983. For the entire time we have known Brett Kavanaugh, he has behaved honorably and treated women with respect. We strongly believe it is important to convey this information to the Committee at this time.
Brett attended Georgetown Prep, an all-boys high school in Rockville, Maryland. He was an outstanding student and athlete with a wide circle of friends. Almost all of us attended all-girls high schools in the area. We knew Brett well through social events, sports, church and various other activities. Many of us have remained close friends with him and his family over the years. Through the more than 35 years we have known him, Brett has stood out for his friendship, character and integrity. In particular, he has always treated women with decency and respect. That was true when he was in high school, and it has remained true to this day.
The signers of this letter hold a broad range of political views. Many of us are not lawyers, but we know Brett Kavanaugh as a person. And he has always been a good person.
The woman who made the allegation about Kavanaugh, who initially met with Democratic lawmakers back in July, asked Feinstein not to push the matter further and keep her identity secret. Although Senate Democrats have called on Grassley to delay the committee vote on Kavanaugh, Grassley already announced he has no intention to delay the vote at this time.
“Senator Grassley is aware of Senator Feinstein’s referral,” Taylor Foy, a committee spokesman, said in an email to Roll Call. “At this time, he has not seen the letter in question, and is respecting the request for confidentiality. There’s no plan to change the committee’s consideration of Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination.”