President Donald Trump has ordered an FBI investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against his Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh at the request of Senate Republicans, a move that will delay the contentious confirmation process by a week.
The key player in a day of dramatic developments was Senator Jeff Flake, a moderate Republican retiring from the Senate in January, who provided the decisive vote to approve Kavanaugh's nomination in the judiciary committee and send the matter to the full Senate.
But Flake cast the vote only after asking the Republican-led panel to request the Trump administration pursue an FBI probe lasting up to seven days of the explosive allegations against Kavanaugh.
Trump, who had previously rebuffed Democratic demands for an FBI probe, granted the request, ordering the "supplemental investigation" to be "limited in scope and completed in less than one week".
"Just started, tonight, our 7th FBI investigation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh. He will someday be recognized as a truly great Justice of The United States Supreme Court!," Trump said in a Twitter post late on Friday.
Flake's move came a day after an extraordinary hearing in which university professor Christine Blasey Ford detailed her sexual assault allegation against Kavanaugh.
Flake's action also came only hours after two protesters who said they were sexual assault survivors cornered him in an elevator and castigated him for announcing he would vote for Kavanaugh in the committee.
Flake's vote to delay was supported by two other Republican moderates, Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, both of whom have not announced whether they will support Kavanaugh.
The allegations against Kavanaugh, with the backdrop of the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment and assault that has toppled a succession of powerful men, have riveted the country even as they have imperilled his confirmation chances.
Trump's nomination of Kavanaugh, a conservative federal appeals court judge, for a lifetime job on the top US court had appeared to be going smoothly until Ford's allegation surfaced last week.
Kavanaugh has denied her allegation and accusations of sexual misconduct made by two other women.
The committee vote followed an emotional hearing on Thursday in which Ford accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her in 1982 when both were high school students in Maryland.
Kavanaugh denied the accusation and accused Democrats, who have opposed his nomination from the outset, of a "calculated and orchestrated political hit".
In a statement issued by the White House, Kavanaugh said he would co-operate with the FBI investigation.
Christine Blasey Ford, centre, flanked by attorneys Debra Katz and Michael Bromwich, testifies during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. Source: AAP
If confirmed, Kavanaugh would consolidate conservative control of the nation's highest court.
The controversy has unfolded just weeks ahead of the November 6 congressional elections in which Democrats are trying to seize control of Congress from the Republicans.
Even before Flake's move, it was unclear if Republicans had the votes to confirm Kavanaugh.
Republicans hold a slim 51-49 majority in the Senate, making the votes of Murkowski and Collins crucial.
Trump indicated he was sticking with Kavanaugh, saying while Ford was "a very credible witness", he had not thought "even a little bit" about replacing his nominee.
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