cory booker questions brett kavanaugh

Senator Cory Booker/YouTube

Cory Booker releases confidential Kavanaugh memo about racial profiling

"Bring it," Booker said when threatened with ouster.

 

Ellen Ioanes

Tech

Posted on Sep 6, 2018   Updated on May 21, 2021, 7:10 am CDT

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) released a “committee confidential” document allegedly showing evidence of Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, discussing racial profiling in the wake of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Booker said Thursday that he was aware that the action could result in his expulsion from the Senate.

Booker began questioning Kavanaugh on Wednesday regarding the email, which was part of a trove given to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Booker alleged that the document contains emails in which Kavanaugh discussed racial profiling. Booker used the document to question Kavanaugh during yesterday’s hearing.

Booker’s action reflects frustration from Senate Democrats about the availability of documents from Kavanaugh’s time in the Bush administration and the fact that they have had to rely on Bush’s lawyers, not the National Archives, to access the documents.

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) asked for a stay on the hearing so that Democrats could analyze the new documents. Booker said Thursday that he was willing to face the consequences of his act of “civil disobedience.”

“I openly invite and accept the consequences of my team releasing that email right now,” even though it could result in “potential ousting from the Senate.”

While Booker said he didn’t believe that his action would result in such a severe punishment, Sen. John Cornyn (D-Texas), the Senate Majority Whip, saw fit to remind Booker of the rules and warned him of the possible consequences.

“Bring it,” Booker replied.

Running for president is no excuse for violating the rules of the Senate,” Cornyn said.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) jumped to Booker’s defense, saying, “I concur with what you are doing. Let’s jump into this pit together … If there is going to be some retribution against the senator from New Jersey, count me in. I want to be part of this process.”

Other Senate Democrats have piled on, including Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii).

This seems to be the moment liberals have been waiting for ahead of the midterms, with elected officials pulling no punches when it comes to thwarting Trump’s policies and appointees.

Booker himself tweeted the following:

Booker has been eyed as a potential challenger to Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election.

Read the document here.

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*First Published: Sep 6, 2018, 10:38 am CDT