Citing a violation of the separation of powers, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon says he’s filed an injunction to delay a final vote on Brett Kavanaugh…President Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court. KLCC’s Brian Bull has more.
Merkley says he’s filed his suit based on the Senate’s constitutional duty to give advice and consent on nominees. The Oregon Democrat says the Trump Administration has cited executive privilege in restricting thousands of pages of documents related to Kavanaugh’s years of service under George W. Bush.
“And I’m standing up and filing this case, to say “This must end,” Merkley said during a conference call with reporters.
"And we’re seeking the court to intervene and give Senators access to the nominee’s record, so we can truly fulfill our advice and consent responsibility.”
Merkley says his injunction heads into completely untested territory. He is asking the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to not only give access to the documents, but time to review and digest them.
Republicans with the Senate Judiciary Committee wish to hold a vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination by week’s end.
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