Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley Today Filed a Lawsuit Against the Trump Administration, Arguing To Halt Kavanaugh Confirmation Process

"The President and Mitch McConnell want to ram through this nomination come hell or high water,” Merkley said in a statement, “without real advice or informed consent by the Senate.”

Jeff Merkley (Christine Dong)
By Elise Herron

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) today filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration, arguing that key documents from Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's record have been withheld.

Kavanaugh now faces three accusations of sexual assault, with a new allegation Wednesday describing Kavanaugh's attempt to spike drinks in order to take advantage of women in the early '80s. Protests over Kavanaugh's potential lifetime confirmation to the Supreme Court have sparked across the nation—including with Gov. Kate Brown in Portland.

Related: Oregon Gov. Kate Brown Joins Protests Against Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh After Sexual Assault Allegations

Merkley's lawsuit, however, pertains to records from Kavanaugh's years of work for the George W. Bush Administration. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, alleges that defendants—President Donald Trump, majority leader Mitch McConnell and judiciary committee chairman Chuck Grassley—worked with lawyer William Burk to conceal documents related to Kavanaugh's tenure as staff secretary, and later as a lawyer in the White House Counsel's Office, under President George W. Bush.

Merkley wants the courts to halt Kavanaugh's confirmation process until the lawsuit has been addressed and records released.

"The events of the past ten days have only underscored how critical it is that the Senate conduct a careful and comprehensive review of a nominee before giving its consent," Merkley said in a statement. "But this President has gone to lengths never seen before to make sure we can't do that job."

He continued: "The President and Mitch McConnell want to ram through this nomination come hell or high water, without real advice or informed consent by the Senate, but that's just not how our Constitution works."

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has also taken to Twitter to publicly denounce Kavanaugh and call for a halt of a confirmation vote on Friday.

"ALL allegations must be investigated fully by the FBI," Wyden tweeted today. "The White House must not stand in the way."

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today.