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Duckworth, Durbin Receive Letter From Ford Supporters

Dick Durbin
J. Scott Applewhite
/
AP
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the assistant Democratic leader, speaks with reporters about the confirmation for President Donald Trump's embattled Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, at the Capitol in Washington on Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018.

U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are renewing their call for an FBI investigation into sexual assault claims against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

A letter signed by more than 1,400 Washington, D.C.,area graduates has been presented to the two Democratic senators from Illinois to show support for accuser Christine Blasey Ford.

Durbin also joined the other Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee in signing a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to withdraw Kavanaugh’s nomination or launch the FBI probe.

Durbin said Ford has “put everything on the line” in raising these serious allegations. 

“She has shown she has nothing to hide because she alone has called for a nonpartisan FBI investigation,” Durbin said. “Judge Kavanaugh has denied any of this is true. Then why won’t he step up and invite that same investigation?"

Duckworth said Kavanaugh's prep school yearbook entries reveal a troubling past.

“If you look at this yearbook, it’s very clear that there was a large drinking culture and that this type of activity, if not condoned, was certainly not something that was frowned upon because it showed up in the yearbook.,” Duckworth said.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley has balked at the idea of an FBI investigation, saying in a letter to Ford’s attorneys last week “the FBI does not make a credibility assessment of any information it receives with respect to a nominee.”

Kavanaugh and Ford are both set to testify at Thursday’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. GLT will carry the hearing live, starting at 9 a.m.

The committee has scheduled a vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination on Friday morning.

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Eric Stock is the News Director at WGLT. You can contact Eric at ejstoc1@ilstu.edu.
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