Kavanaugh seems to be locking up the GOP swing votes
It's looking increasingly likely that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh will be successfully confirmed.
Senators received a report Thursday on the FBI's new background investigation into Kavanaugh, ordered in light of the multiple sexual misconduct allegations against him, which he has denied. Democrats immediately complained that the investigation was too limited, especially because it did not include an interview with Kavanaugh accuser Christine Blasey Ford. But what really matters for the nominee's confirmation prospects is how a handful of key Republican swing votes feel about it, as Kavanaugh will be confirmed as long as all 51 Republican senators remain united in their support for him.
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Just as significant is the fact that Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who demanded this investigation in the first place, agrees with Collins, also calling it thorough on Thursday, The Hill's Alex Bolton reports. Additionally, Flake said the probe reveals "no additional corroborating information," per CNN's Phil Mattingly. This would seem to suggest Flake will vote "yes," as he previously told The Atlantic he'd vote to confirm Kavanaugh unless the FBI turned something up.
With Flake and Collins both potentially behind him, CNN's Manu Raju concludes that "Kavanaugh appears, at the moment, headed to the Supreme Court."
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