Sen. Leahy Rattles Kavanaugh Over Questioning About Stolen Emails

By Frances Langum — September 5, 2018

But his emails!

At the Kavanaugh hearing this morning, Patrick Leahy asked Brett Kavanaugh if he found it "at all unusual to receive a draft letter from Democratic senators to each other before any mention of it was made public?"

Kavanaugh was a participant in guiding George W. Bush appointees to the court through the confirmation process. It now appears he had in his possession, stolen emails specifically from Leahy, which benefitted him and the nominees he was shepherding.

WOW.

Jessica Mason Pieklo of ReWire News is live-tweeting:

Leahy's questions to Kavanaugh about his exchanges with the Republican staffer who stole Dem emails suggests Leahy has the goods on Kavanaugh here.

This is solid prosecutorial questioning happening here

— Jessica Mason Pieklo (@Hegemommy) September 5, 2018

The tone of this exchange is very moderated but this is high Senate drama. Leahy is fully making the case for Kavanaugh as a liar and a thief

— Jessica Mason Pieklo (@Hegemommy) September 5, 2018

Leahy asks if Kavanaugh ever got an email from a GOP staffer that references stolen materials.

Kavanaugh asks if Leahy has such an email

Leahy says ask Grassley

Folks my money is on that email existing and this is how Leahy just got around confidentiality

— Jessica Mason Pieklo (@Hegemommy) September 5, 2018

This is a super fine line Leahy is walking here because the penalty for breaking confidentiality can be expulsion from the Senate

— Jessica Mason Pieklo (@Hegemommy) September 5, 2018

Kavanaugh is a visibly different witness after that exchange. Leahy shook him.

— Jessica Mason Pieklo (@Hegemommy) September 5, 2018

Ari Melber weighs in, too:

Leahy is first to lay a glove on Kavanagh, pressing on how he allegedly benefitted from inside information stolen from Leahy’s office in past confirmation battles.

— Ari Melber (@AriMelber) September 5, 2018

UPDATE: Kavanaugh wasn't the only one rattled. Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley was visibly perturbed:

Grassley, who yesterday touted Kavanaugh's process for its purported transparency, won't agree to Leahy's request to make public Bush-era emails that might contain evidence of perjury pic.twitter.com/mQwuHVfqya

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 5, 2018

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