Released Records Indicate Misleading and False Statements
BALTIMORE (September 8, 2018)—The nation’s foremost civil rights organization issued the following statement regarding the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the US Supreme Court.
At the close of Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court, the NAACP calls upon the Senate to conduct a special investigation into possible perjury by Judge Kavanaugh.
Records released only this week provide substantial evidence that Judge Kavanaugh made misleading and false statements to the Judiciary Committee during his appellate court confirmation over a decade ago. The documents contradict his testimony during his prior judicial confirmation hearing regarding a number of matters, including but not limited to his role in the judicial nominations of Charles Pickering and William Pryor and his role in the theft of Senate emails. Judge Kavanaugh’s testimony before the Judiciary Committee this week only compounded the inconsistencies, fueling our concern that he has committed an extraordinary breach of public trust, then and now.
A lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court is simply too important to sweep aside glaring revelations about the truthfulness of a nominee’s testimony before the very body charged by the Constitution to evaluate his fitness to serve.
The Senate owes it to the American people to investigate these serious charges promptly and thoroughly. A referral to the Department of Justice for perjury charges may be appropriate. Any other course of action at this time would be an abdication of the Senate’s advise and consent role and threaten the integrity of the Supreme Court itself. The nation has the right to expect the truth from a sitting federal judge and Supreme Court nominee.
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About the NAACP:
Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s foremost and largest nonpartisan civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities. You can read more about the NAACP’s work and our six “Game Changer” issue areas by visiting NAACP.org.
Contact:
Malik Russell
Director of Communications
NAACP
[email protected]
