Josh Campbell is a CNN law enforcement analyst. He previously served as a Supervisory Special Agent with the FBI and is currently writing a book on recent attempts by elected officials to undermine the rule of law. Follow him on Twitter at @joshscampbell. The views expressed in this commentary are his own. View more opinion articles at CNN.

(CNN) The country just witnessed a charade in the confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the US Supreme Court.

I'm not talking about the dramatic hearings nor the stream of serious allegations and full-throated defense to rebut them. Instead, I'm referring to efforts by the White House to manipulate the American people into believing the FBI's supplemental background investigation of Kavanaugh was comprehensive in nature and free from outside influence. The administration's convenient, newfound confidence in the FBI was also a sight to behold.

The remarkable orchestration was successful in two key areas: The puppet masters overseeing the FBI's work were able to convince a large segment of society that the bureau had "free rein" in digging into the judge's past, while also benefiting from the often blurred distinction between an FBI criminal investigation and a background investigation of a White House nominee.

In criminal cases, the bureau has wide latitude to utilize an array of investigative tools in order to ferret out violations of federal law. These investigations are conducted independent of meddling politicians and go wherever the facts lead.

By contrast, in background investigations, the FBI merely acts as the investigative arm of the White House and can only operate within strict parameters set by the administration. The goal is not to gather facts for a criminal case, but instead to collect information the White House can then use to determine whether a potential nominee is suitable for high office.

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