The Moment: Ford's 'indelible' memory is Kavanaugh laughing

Trump ordered the FBI on Friday to reopen Kavanaugh's background investigation after several women accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct.

"The supplemental FBI background investigation would be limited to current credible allegations against the nominee and must be completed no later than one week from today", the committee said in a statement.

Mr Trump was forced to order the FBI investigation after Republican Senator Jeff Flake threatened to vote against Mr Kavanaugh's confirmation unless Republicans who control the Senate agreed to the new probe.

It was also not clear whether the FBI would investigate a series of allegations made by a third woman, Julie Swetnick, who has said that she witnessed a severely drunken Kavanaugh mistreat women at parties in high school and that he was present at parties where high school boys gang-raped teenage girls.

"The Supreme Court is the lone institution where most Americans still have some faith".

"What's really needed now is a penetrating, complete, fair and impartial investigation by the FBI", Blumenthal said, including an interview of Judge.

FILE - U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh meets with Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said it was his understanding there would be an FBI investigation of "the outstanding allegations, the three of them", but Republicans have not said whether that was their understanding as well.

Two other key Republicans, Susan Collins of ME and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, said they backed the plan after they and other GOP senators met for an hour in Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's office in the Capitol.

Kavanaugh has also forcefully denied the allegations by Swetnick, calling them completely false and ridiculous.

Flake called for a delay in the Senate vote to allow for an Federal Bureau of Investigation probe into the claims levelled against Kavanaugh.

It's unclear whether such restrictions on the FBI were what Flake had in mind when he called for the investigation. His account has been particularly sought after because, unlike Kavanaugh, Judge has not denied Ford's allegations but has said he has no memory that such an assault occurred.

Kavanaugh wouldn't answer directly when he was asked Thursday if he would agree to an FBI investigation, but said he would do whatever the Judiciary Committee wanted.

However, he also said that the delay could eventually help both Republicans, and Kavanaugh himself.

"I can say this whole process has affected all of us", he said.

Some Republicans still resisted the delay but went along with the plan that may be the only way salvage Kavanaugh's confirmation.

"I asked him to swear before God he didn't do it and he did and I believe him", he said. If so, we should have a conversation about what information you need to assist you in making your decision, and I look forward to that conversation.

White House officials believe Kavanaugh's passionate denials of Ford's claims, including the judge's tearful description of the impact the accusations had on his family, met the challenge.

Agents also will likely pursue P.J. Smyth and Leland Ingham Keyser, who Ford said also attended the party.

The sex-crime prosecutor Rachel Mitchell, who was hired by the Republican senators to question Ford and Kavanaugh, spoke at a meeting after the September 27 hearing.

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