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Make-or-break GOP senators signal support for Kavanaugh after FBI report

A pair of GOP senators who had been on the fence about Brett Kavanaugh indicated Thursday they were satisfied with the FBI’s updated background check on the Supreme Court nominee — an apparent signal of support of his confirmation.

“We’ve seen no additional corroborating information,” said Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake, referring to the allegations of sexual misconduct lodged against President Trump’s nominee by a California college professor and a former classmate at Yale.

Kavanaugh has vigorously denied the accusations.

Maine Sen. Susan Collins, another Republican who, like Flake, has not announced a position, said “it appears to be a very thorough investigation,” countering claims by Democrats that it was a rush job micromanaged by the White House.

Flake and Collins — along with Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski — are key GOP votes in the bitterly divided Senate, where Republicans hold a 51-49 majority and can’t afford to lose more than one vote, assuming all Democrats vote to deny the nomination.





Neither Flake nor Collins said definitively how they would vote, and Murkowski had yet to comment.

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has said the Senate would vote to close debate on the nomination on Friday and that the full Senate would vote during the weekend.

Christine Blasey Ford, the professor, charged that a drunken Kavanaugh assaulted her during a high school drinking party.

Yalie Deborah Ramirez said Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at another drinking party in a college dorm.

Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley of Iowa said earlier that the FBI uncovered no new information to support the charges.





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