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Feinstein: Kavanaugh Misled About Grand Jury Secrecy Violation

In memo from Vince Foster probe, nominee allegedly directed Starr investigator to “call [Chris] Ruddy” about matters before a grand jury.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) claimed Wednesday that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh misled the Senate about the way he handled grand jury secrets while he worked for Independent Counsel Kenneth Star 20 years ago. In a statement to Politico, Feinstein claimed that by directing his colleague Hickman Ewing to call conservative Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reporter Christopher Ruddy and persuade him to change the language in a story about Kavanaugh’s prosecution of a key witness in the Vince Foster probe, Kavanaugh should have known that he was violating grand jury secrecy laws—and should have disclosed that violation to Feinstein and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) when he was asked if he had ever done so.

“According to a memo from the National Archives, Brett Kavanaugh instructed Hickman Ewing, a colleague and deputy counsel in the Starr investigation, to ‘call [Chris] Ruddy’ about matters before a grand jury, which would be illegal to disclose," Feinstein said in a statement to Politico. “I asked Judge Kavanaugh in questions for the record whether he had shared ‘information learned through grand jury proceedings.’ His answer, which says that he acted ‘consistent with the law,’ conflicts with the official memo from Mr. Ewing. Disclosing grand jury information is against the law and would be troubling for any lawyer, especially one applying for a promotion to the highest court in the country.”