In Politico Commentary, Judicial Nominations Expert Debunks Myths about FBI Background Investigations

WASHINGTON – In a Politico commentary, Mike Zubrensky, chief counsel of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, outlines the stark difference between previous FBI background investigations on judicial nominees and the Senate Republicans’ current partisan process to rush Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination without proper vetting.

“Based on my experience initiating these investigations, Dr. Blasey Ford’s allegation alone is sufficient basis for the FBI to launch a supplemental investigation into Kavanaugh,” wrote Zubrensky. “The nature of the allegation is extremely serious, and it would be beneficial for senators to have an impartial fact-finder take statements under oath in a non-adversarial setting from the accuser, the accused and individuals who may have witnessed or heard about the incident. The same goes for the second allegation, from Ms. Ramirez, and especially so because it suggests a pattern of misconduct.”

Zubrensky served for nearly seven years as Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Policy, where he worked on judicial nominations.

The full article can be found here.

Zubrensky also recently published a Medium post clarifying the FBI background process and addressing the misinformation being spread by Kavanaugh’s defenders.

For more information on the groundswell of opposition to Kavanaugh’s nomination, please visit www.savescotus.org.

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.