What to Know
- Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey says he's going to make public an email from Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh
- Releasing the email would violate a committee rule, as the Judiciary Committee is holding that email on a confidential basis
- Booker says Kavanaugh discusses racial profiling in the email and says it has "nothing to do with national security"
The final round of questioning of Brett Kavanaugh had a fiery start Thursday, as Senate Democrats objected once again to thousands of documents from the career of President Donald Trump's nominee to the Supreme Court being kept from public view.
Before questioning began, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said he would be willing to break committee rules and risk being expelled from the Senate to release a document in which Kavanaugh apparently alluded to racial profiling by police. The document was labeled "committee confidential," meaning it can be read by senators and their staff but not discussed in open session.
"I sincerely believe the public deserves to know this nominee's record," Booker explained, daring colleagues to bring Senate procedure violation charges against him.
Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas called Booker's action "irresponsible and conduct unbecoming a senator."
He read a rule contemplating expulsion of senators for violating Senate confidentiality rules. Several Democrats said in response, "bring it on."
He released several documents as the hearing began, as did fellow Democrat Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, and another one was published by The New York Times and subsequently discussed in the hearing.
