WASHINGTON — Denouncing a "sham" process even as he professed his respect for the Republican chairman who oversaw it, Sen. Cory Booker declared he would not join in a Judiciary Committee vote on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

But as he left the hearing room, Booker walked in on negotiations in an anteroom that some of his colleagues were having. Those discussions ultimately produced an agreement to keep Kavanaugh's final confirmation from being considered next week, as had been expected, so the FBI could investigate sexual misconduct allegations against him.

The agreement, reached by Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., a key swing vote, with Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., did not stop the Judiciary Committee from sending Kavanaugh's nomination to the floor.

Booker and others who had planned a boycott the vote joined in, however. The final vote was 11-10, along party lines. Flake joined his Republican colleagues, but said he would not support Kavanaugh's final confirmation until the FBI could do an investigation.

"I think it would be proper to delay the floor vote for up to but not more than one week, in order to let the FBI to do an investigation limited in time and scope to the current allegations," Flake said. "I’ve spoken to a few other members who are on my side of the aisle that may be supportive as well."

Flake cannot stop Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., from calling a vote. But McConnell would call a vote only if he expected the nomination to be approved, and that would not happen if Flake and one other Republican joined all the Democrats in voting "no."

Booker said on Twitter that he was "encouraged by the good faith discussion" with his colleagues and suggested specific areas the FBI should investigate.

Booker had railed against the rushed process that led to a committee vote Friday even as he announced he had respect and affection for Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, the committee chairman.

"I cannot sit here, I cannot participate in what I know history is going to look back [on] as a dark moment," Booker said before walking out. He compared it to the confirmation process that sent Clarence Thomas to the high court after professor Anita Hill accused him of sexual harassment.

Booker declared he believed Christine Blasey Ford, who testified Thursday that Kavanaugh held her down and tried to remove her clothes at a party when they were in high school. Kavanaugh angrily denied the allegation and others that followed it from other women, but Booker said Ford seemed to want more investigation and Kavanaugh did not.

"She was terrified of being raped or accidentally killed," Booker said. He said there was information the committee was ignoring that could be investigated, and sharply differed with colleagues who said Democrats were out to destroy Kavanaugh for political reasons.

"This isn’t some political hit job," Booker said, referring to Ford's allegations. "Before he was even nominated, she came forward with this testimony."

Republicans who have argued for pushing ahead have accused Democrats of holding the allegations until the end of the confirmation process, then leaking them to derail it. Ford had written to her congresswoman in California when Kavanaugh's name was being mentioned as a possible nominee in July. That letter was passed to the top Democrat on the committee, Dianne Feinstein of California, but she said she could not reveal it without violating Ford's wishes to remain anonymous.

Booker said he did not learn of Ford's allegations until they were in the press earlier this month. Feinstein then briefed Democratic committee members.

"Her entire concerns were about the dignity and the humanity and the respect for Dr. Ford. The conversation we had was about the best way to handle the information," Booker said. "I have now been in numerous caucus meetings where politics has not been discussed."

Rather, he said the meetings included senators reading letters from people who had been victims of sexual violence.

"We should not brush aside her comments, we should not belittle her testimony. We should listen to her, we should listen to women. And we should thoroughly investigate this before moving forward," Booker said.

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The New Jersey Democrat, who is seen as a potential candidate for president in 2020, also addressed criticism he faced himself during the hearings. Republican senators and Kavanaugh himself referred to a speech Booker made at a news conference trying to motivate activism against the nomination.

In that July speech, Booker said the potential for Kavanaugh to tip the court's balance against abortion and marriage rights made his nomination a "moral moment."

"You are either complicit in the evil, you are either contributing to the wrong, or you are fighting against it," Booker said.

Booker said afterward he was not calling Kavanaugh or those who supported him evil, just those who did nothing about something they considered wrong.

"Some of my comments have been referenced numerous times," Booker said Friday in apparent reference to that incident. "I know that I have not been as precise and allowed my comments to be mischaracterized and I don't blame those people mischaracterizing my comments. I take responsibility and learned to be more precise."