The People Deserve to See Kavanaugh’s Full Record

WASHINGTON – Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued a statement on Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley’s narrow request that limits the amount of Kavanaugh’s record that the Senate – and the American people – will be able to review as part of his confirmation process:

“Today, Chairman Chuck Grassley issued a partisan letter requesting a narrow set of Brett Kavanaugh’s record rather than a bipartisan request like has been done before requesting all of a Supreme Court nominee’s record. When Elena Kagan was nominated, Chuck Grassley and others like Jeff Sessions and John Cornyn insisted on seeing all of her emails from the Clinton White House. Those documents were provided, and executive privilege was never invoked.

“All 100 senators and the millions of Americans they represent need to see Kavanaugh’s full record so they can make an informed decision. This is not the time for a partisan double standard. Too much is at stake.

“Kavanaugh himself has said that his work as White House staff secretary was important and informed his approach to judging. He has indicated that he worked on legislation, executive orders, and federal agencies during this high level political appointment. Senators deserve to know whether he lied under oath in his last confirmation hearing and if he was involved in controversies, ranging from an attempt to add discrimination to the Constitution to legislation to ban abortion.

“There cannot be different standards of transparency for Supreme Court nominees based on party. The Senate, and the American people, need to see all of Kavanaugh’s record before a hearing can be scheduled on his nomination.”

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.