National Archives Must Release Kavanaugh’s Full White House Record

WASHINGTON – Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement following the announcement by the National Archives that it is unable to respond to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley’s limited request for a small portion of Brett Kavanaugh’s White House records until the end of October:

“This nomination process has been the most partisan and most reckless ever. Chairman Grassley is seeking only a narrow set of Kavanaugh’s record as a political appointee to the George W. Bush White House, hiding three years of his work in the administration. Even with that limited request, the National Archives has said it will not be able to complete its review until the end of October.

“No hearing should be set until the Senate and the American public have the opportunity to review Kavanaugh’s full record. This is a lifetime appointment to the highest court, and it would be foolish for Senate Republicans, who left the previous Supreme Court vacancy open for more than a year, to rush this process. The Archives should release not only the records Grassley requested, but also the remaining records from Kavanaugh’s time working in the White House.

“If the Republicans truly have nothing to hide, they will release Kavanaugh’s full record. Senators must put country over party and refuse to set different standards of transparency for Supreme Court nominees.”

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.