Frank Montoya Jr.:

As I mentioned, when folks fill out their SF-86, they are listing who we — they want us to talk to.

And so, when something like this comes up, it usually is in the manner in which this allegation — or these allegations did arise. It's typically not after so much time has transpired.

But I would also point out that, in the vast majority of our investigations, whether they are — well, our background investigations, whether they're for an agent who — or a prospective agent who wants to join the organization or a federal judge, that they don't easily have this kind of profile.

They aren't broadcast to the entire nation, the whole world, for that matter. And so, in this respect, I mean, we're talking about a seat on the Supreme Court of the United States. It's not surprising that something like this would come out even as long after it did.

I think that it's actually good that it did come out, because if we're going to put this individual on the Supreme Court, we need to know that they have the kind of character, the kind of background that supports that position.

There's also the question of temperament in terms of how they reacted to the kinds of criticisms that we have seen. We expect our judges to be objective, to be able to be above the fray, so to speak.

And so this is all, I think, in the end, as difficult as it has been, it's also healthy for our system.