Politics

McConnell Calls For Judiciary Committee Investigation Of Ford Letter Leak

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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Saturday said the Senate Judiciary Committee “ought to take a look at” how the confidential letter from Kavanaugh accuser Christine Blasey Ford to Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein was initially leaked to the media.

“I think it clearly was, honestly, a despicable thing to do to Dr. Ford,” McConnell told Politico. “And it kind of underscored the tactics that have been used: It started in committee and then went straight out into the public.”

Republicans have accused Democrats, particularly Feinstein, of mistreating Ford by playing politics with Ford’s accusations and essentially ignoring her wishes to remain anonymous.

While Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley has asked Ford’s attorneys to release any communications they had about her allegations with Democratic Senators Feinstein and Hirono, Politico reported that he “hasn’t yet decided how much further he should pursue an inquiry into how Ford’s letter reached the public eye. (RELATED: Ford’s Attorney Says Her Client Found Trump Mocking Her Testimony ‘Very Hurtful’)

“I’ve got some people on my committee that feel strongly about following up on the leak and all that stuff,” said Grassley. “I’ll have a conversation with them. I haven’t made up my mind yet.”

Meanwhile, several GOP sources told Politico that a Republican senator may file an ethics complaint, now that Kavanaugh’s confirmation is secure.

Feinstein seemed open to such an inquiry, saying through a spokeswoman: “As I’ve said along, neither I nor my staff leaked the contents or existence of Dr. Ford’s letter. This has been confirmed by the reporter who broke the story. If there is an investigation, I’m confident this will be reaffirmed.”

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