Omissions in Senate Investigation into Kavanaugh Assault Claims

A 2018 Senate investigation that cleared US Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault allegations contained serious omissions, according to new information obtained by The Guardian. The report included an unfounded claim that Kavanaugh's accuser, Deborah Ramirez, was "likely" mistaken when she alleged that Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a dormitory party. The suggestion was sent to the judiciary committee by a Colorado-based attorney named Joseph C Smith Jr, who was a friend and former colleague of the committee's then lead counsel, Mike Davis. The revelation raises new questions about apparent efforts to downplay and discredit accusations of sexual misconduct by Kavanaugh and exclude evidence that supported an alleged victim's claims.