The Atlantic

The FBI Investigation Didn’t Go Very Far By Design

The special background investigation of Brett Kavanaugh involved nine witnesses and bypassed dozens of others named by the accusers Christine Blasey Ford and Deborah Ramirez.   
Source: Mary Calvert / Reuters

The FBI found itself at the center of another political firestorm on Thursday as the findings from its supplemental background investigation of the Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh were made available to all 100 senators. By late morning, top Republicans and Democrats had already reached vastly different conclusions about the FBI report, which the bureau concluded after four days without interviewing two of the three women who have accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct, or dozens of witnesses who were said to have corroborating information.

“It appears to be a very thorough investigation,” Republican Senator Susan

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Atlantic

The Atlantic5 min readSocial History
The Pro-life Movement’s Not-So-Secret Plan for Trump
Sign up for The Decision, a newsletter featuring our 2024 election coverage. Donald Trump has made no secret of the fact that he regards his party’s position on reproductive rights as a political liability. He blamed the “abortion issue” for his part
The Atlantic6 min read
The Happy Way to Drop Your Grievances
Want to stay current with Arthur’s writing? Sign up to get an email every time a new column comes out. In 15th-century Germany, there was an expression for a chronic complainer: Greiner, Zanner, which can be translated as “whiner-grumbler.” It was no
The Atlantic5 min readAmerican Government
What Nikki Haley Is Trying to Prove
This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here. Nikki Haley faces terrible odds in her home state of

Related Books & Audiobooks