Five Questions FBI Director Wray Must Answer Regarding Kavanaugh Investigation

Press Release / February 05, 2020

At Today’s House Judiciary Committee Hearing, Wray Must Answer for the Sham FBI Investigation into Sexual Assault Allegations Against Brett Kavanaugh

WASHINGTON, DC—Demand Justice called on FBI Director Christopher Wray to finally provide answers about the Bureau’s 2018 investigation into sexual assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh.

Since Wray last testified before Congress, even more evidence has emerged that the White House directed the FBI to ignore evidence that potentially could have corroborated allegations against Kavanaugh. A book by two New York Times reporters corroborates accounts of Kavanaugh sexually assaulting women in high school and college and further proves that the FBI refused to hear from people who could strengthen the allegations, including a likely eyewitness. Despite the fact that there were dozens of people who were willing to speak to the FBI, the White House severely limited the scope of who could be interviewed and what questions could be asked of those few who were spoken to.

“It’s been over a year since the White House covered up the credible sexual assault allegations made against Brett Kavanaugh by forcing the FBI to conduct a sham investigation, and we still have no answers,” said Demand Justice Chief Counsel Christopher Kang. “The American people deserve the truth about how and why the FBI failed to actually investigate Brett Kavanaugh. We deserve to know why the Bureau turned away dozens of witnesses and instead conducted an impossibly narrow investigation that was meant to give cover, not get to the truth. And we deserve accountability from senators who relied on such an obviously incomplete investigation, looking the other way as they confirmed Kavanaugh.”

Demand Justice released the following questions:

  1. The Department of Justice has admitted in a court filing that “an authorized official within the White House Counsel’s Office sent a series of emails to the FBI on behalf of the President requesting that the FBI conduct limited inquiries, including interviews with specified individuals to ask questions regarding particular topics and allegations detailed in various materials the White House sent to the FBI.” What were those limiting instructions from the White House?
  2. Why did the FBI depart from its usual, longstanding practice and refuse to re-interview Brett Kavanaugh himself during its supplemental background investigation?
  3. In what percent of supplemental background investigations of judicial nominees has the Trump White House or Department of Justice prohibited the FBI from speaking to additional people or from asking questions beyond certain approved topics?
  4. Do you believe the FBI can conduct a thorough background investigation when it is artificially limited in who it can speak to and what questions it can ask–even if individuals come forward with relevant information?
  5. What is the status of the FBI’s compliance with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s FOIA request sent to the agency on October 10, 2018 to obtain, among other documents, all communications between the FBI and any person in the White House regarding the scope and content of the FBI’s supplemental background investigation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh; all documents concerning Justice Kavanaugh’s honesty during his confirmation process, including his Senate testimony; and all internal communications within the FBI concerning the scope and content of the FBI’s supplemental background investigation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh?

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