Kavanaugh’s ‘Confidential’ Records: What Else Are They Hiding?

WASHINGTON – Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement on the continuing need for the Senate to request all of Brett Kavanaugh’s records from his time in the George W. Bush White House:

“As we learned this morning, Brett Kavanaugh, when he was a White House lawyer for George W. Bush, questioned if Roe v. Wade was settled law ‘since [the Supreme] Court can always overrule its precedent,’ and was critical of affirmative action programs. Stunningly, these records were not yet public, as they had been deemed ‘committee confidential’ by Bush’s lawyer, William Burck, who is also Kavanaugh’s former deputy. This is completely unacceptable.

“This small break in the dam continues to raise serious questions about this sham process. Chairman Grassley has not even asked for three years of Kavanaugh’s records as White House Staff Secretary. The records that have been released thus far come not from the National Archives, but from Burck. If Republicans have confidence in this nominee, they should make all of Kavanaugh’s records available for the Senate and public to see. A lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court merits the most careful scrutiny.

“We applaud those senators who continue to push for transparency, including Senator Booker and those who stood in solidarity with him. If the Republicans are unwilling to make Kavanaugh’s records available, one can only continue to ask: What are they hiding?”

The Leadership Conference’s website, SaveSCOTUS.org, includes critical information about the importance of the Supreme Court and resources from our partners.

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.