Days after being ordered to look into sexual misconduct allegations against US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, the FBI has talked with his high school friend Mark Judge, but the interview is not complete, his attorney said.
University professor Christine Blasey Ford has said Judge was a witness when Kavanaugh allegedly sexually assaulted her at a party in 1982 when they were high school students in Maryland.
Judge has denied Ford's allegations. Kavanaugh has also denied her accusations, as well as those of two other women, while accusing Democrats of a political "hit."
Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee voted on Friday in favour of Kavanaugh's nomination but a full Senate vote on confirmation was delayed for a week after President Donald Trump bowed to pressure from moderate members of his Republican Party for the FBI probe.
Trump, who nominated Kavanaugh to the top US court, said on Monday the FBI would have free rein to interview any witnesses it deemed necessary. He said he did not want the probe to become a "witch hunt" and that it should be completed quickly.
"I want them to do a very comprehensive investigation. Whatever that means, according to the senators and the Republicans and the Republican majority, I want them to do that," Trump said at a White House news conference.
His remarks followed criticism by Democrats that he and other Republicans were trying to limit the scope of the FBI probe.
Democratic Senator Chris Coons told reporters he was in discussions with the White House on the probe. "The FBI needs to be allowed to pursue all reasonable investigatory steps from the credible allegations in front of the committee," he said.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the chamber would vote this week on Kavanaugh, a conservative federal appeals court judge in Washington. A spokesman for McConnell declined to clarify whether McConnell was referring to procedural votes or a final vote on confirming Kavanaugh.
The Kavanaugh nomination erupted last month into a major controversy that jeopardised an effort by Trump and his fellow Republicans to cement conservative dominance of the nation's highest court and push America's judiciary to the right.
The nomination has become a politically explosive issue just weeks before Nov. 6 elections, when control of Congress is at stake. Some Republicans fear that pushing ahead with confirmation would alienate women voters, while Democrats seek to capitalise.
Judge's attorney, Barbara "Bis" Van Gelder, said in a statement: "Mr. Judge has been interviewed by the FBI but his interview has not been completed. We request your patience as the FBI completes its investigation."
Ford said during her testimony at a dramatic Senate hearing on Thursday that Judge was in the bedroom where the alleged assault by Kavanaugh occurred. She said Judge and Kavanaugh were both drunk at the time.
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