HARTFORD, CT — (Updated 5:22 p.m.) Joined by a dozen female candidates from across Connecticut, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ned Lamont called on his Republican opponent to express an opinion about whether there should be an investigation before Judge Brett Kavanaugh gets to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court for life.
The request was made a few hours before the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 11-10 to forward the nomination to the full Senate. U.S. Sen. Jeffrey Flake of Arizona asked for a week delay so that the FBI can conduct an investigation into the allegations made by Christine Blasey Ford before confirming Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.
On Friday evening Trump approved an FBI investigation.
“I’ve ordered the FBI to conduct a supplemental investigation to update Judge Kavanaugh’s file,” Trump said in a statement. “As the Senate has requested, this update must be limited in scope and completed in less than one week.”
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Stefanowski doesn’t want to weigh in on the nomination, but he revised his statement about an FBI investigation after it was ordered by Trump.
“As I said before, allegations of sexual assault absolutely must be taken seriously,” Stefanowski said in a statement Friday. “The Kavanaugh confirmation is no exception. I am glad that the FBI will be further looking into this matter to make sure the Senate has the information they need to make an informed decision. Our United States Senators should carefully examine the entirety of the testimony, witnesses statements and evidence before the vote.”
Still he doesn’t believe it’s something of that should impact the race for the governor’s office in Connecticut.
“I am running for Governor of Connecticut and not for United States Senate,” Stefanowski said.
Asked during Wednesday’s debate if the Senate should confirm Kavanaugh, Stefanowski said “I’ll take a pass on that. That’s a federal issue.”
On Friday, Lamont said this isn’t something Stefanowski can take a pass on.
“You can’t take a pass on this,” Lamont said. “A governor’s not just a CFO of a state but you’re also the leader of the state and people want to know where you stand on issues like this.”
Lamont said he was impressed to see governor’s like Republican Gov. Charlie Baker in Massachusetts stand up.
Baker Tweeted Thursday night: “The accusations brought against Judge Kavanaugh are sickening and deserve an independent investigation. There should be no vote in the Senate.”
Oz Griebel, a third independent candidate for governor, said the American Bar Association was correct in calling for the nomination to be delayed until there’s an FBI investigation.
“I think that’s the right thing to do,” Griebel said Friday. “The Supreme Court like all of our institutions depends on its reputation and its credibility.”
Griebel said having a Supreme Court justice before confirmed without investigating these “serious accusations” is appropriate.
“The notion that you’re going to dismiss somebody because they didn’t come forward for 30 years is horrific,” he added.
Sen. Beth Bye, D-West Hartford, said she’s angry that 11 white men are about to forward an appointment of another white man to the Supreme Court for life.
There are no female Republican U.S. Senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“The party of power at all costs is breaking our democracy,” Bye said. “Piece by piece they are pulling bricks out of the wall. They are breaking traditions that have been followed for generations … that hold our democracy together during contentious times.”
She introduced Lamont as a man who will actually answer the medias questions and talk to them and “stand up with us. It doesn’t have to be about party. Ned Lamont is with Charlie Baker in saying we need an investigation.”
