(CNN) Key Senate Democrats called on Republicans Wednesday to suspend the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh after Michael Cohen -- the president's personal lawyer for decades-- pleaded guilty to eight criminal counts in a New York court.

In court on Tuesday, Cohen said that "in coordination and at the direction of a candidate for federal office," he kept information that would have harmed Trump from becoming public during the 2016 election cycle. Almost simultaneously, Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort was found guilty on eight counts of financial crimes in a Virginia courtroom.

On the Senate floor, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said, "In my view, the Senate Judiciary Committee should immediately pause the consideration of the Kavanaugh nomination."

The notion that Republicans would entertain delaying the confirmation process was quickly and predictably shut down by Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley on Wednesday afternoon.

"Justice Breyer's confirmation occurred when President Clinton's records had been subpoenaed by a grand jury. Obviously, we are nowhere close to that situation today. Calls to delay the hearing are just the latest tactic from opponents who decided to vote 'no' weeks ago and are frantically looking for anything that sticks. The hearing will begin as planned on September 4," said George Hartmann, a spokesman for Grassley.

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