Democrats accused the White House of trying to limit the scope of an FBI investigation into Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee on Sunday, as the bitter battle over Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation spilled into another week of partisan politics.
They threatened a fresh Congressional investigation if the Senate and the FBI did not conduct a thorough review of the evidence against the man in line to sit on the country’s highest court.
Mr Trump insisted the FBI had a “free rein” to probe allegations of sexual misconduct.
But senior Democrats pointed to reports that the White House had given the FBI a list of people to be interviewed and that Julie Swetnick, one of Mr Kavanaugh’s accusers, would not be among them.
Mazie Hironie, who represents Hawaii in the Senate, said it was bad enough that the investigation would last only a week.
“But to limit the FBI to the scope and who they’re going to question… I won’t use the word farce, but that’s not the kind of investigation that all of us are expecting the FBI to conduct,” she told ABC’s This Week.
Democrats want investigators to interview Mr Kavanaugh’s classmates and probe his statement under oath that he never blacked out after drinking.
Jerrold Nadler, who is in line to head the House judiciary committee if Democrats win in the midterms, said he was ready to open an investigation if the Senate and FBI fell short.
“We can’t have a justice on the court who has been credibly accused of sexual assault, who’s been accused of other things, including perjury,” he said.
The demands were condemned by Mr Trump, who said Democrats would never be satisfied.
The confirmation of Mr Kavanaugh was plunged into doubt last month when a woman came forward to accuse him of sexual assault in 1982.
Christine Blasey Ford, a California university professor, detailed her claims at a n extraordinary Senate hearing on Thursday, describing how Mr Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed and tried to rape her when they were high school teenagers.
Two other women, Ms Swetnick and Deborah Ramirez, have also accused him of sexual misconduct.
Mr Kavanaugh angrily denied the allegations during the hearing and said he was the victim of a politically motivated attack.
A day later, senators asked for the FBI to reopen its background check for seven days before putting the matter to a full vote of the Senate.
A lawyer for Ms Ramirez said he had been contacted by the investigation at the weekend.
Agents are also expected to interview Mark Judge, Mr Kavanaugh’s school friend and a potential witness to the alleged attack.
But people familiar with the investigation and a White House official told NBC News that Ms Swetnick’s allegation – of sexual misconduct at parties while he was a student at Georgetown Preparatory School in the 1980s – would not be investigated.
Mr Trump insisted the report was incorrect and tweeted: "Actually, I want them to interview whoever they deem appropriate, at their discretion.”
Kellyanne Conway, counsellor to the president, said the White House was not trying “to interfere” with the investigation and defended Mr Kavanaugh, while revealing that she had been the victim of sexual assault.
“I feel very empathetic for victims of sexual assault, sexual harassment and rape,” she told CNN, before pausing and appearing to gather her thoughts. “I’m a victim of sexual assault.”
She offered no further details.
The denials of interference were not enough for Democrats who said their Republican colleagues should ensure a full investigation or vote against Mr Kavanaugh next week.
Amy Klobuchar, who sits on the Senate judiciary committee, told CNN: “I’m very concerned about this because the White House should not be allowed to micromanage an FBI investigation.”
James Comey, the director of the FBI until he was fired by Mr Trump last year, said the investigators would do their best to get to the truth.
"It is idiotic to put a shot clock on the FBI," he wrote in the New York Times. "But it is better to give professionals seven days to find facts than have no professional investigation at all."