Josh Hawley, the Republican Attorney General of Missouri currently locked in a tight Senate race against incumbent Claire McCaskill (D-MO), on Monday called for a special counsel investigation to determine how Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s account of alleged sexual assault by Judge Brett Kavanaugh was leaked to the public.

“The last few weeks have brought disgrace on the United States Senate,” Hawley told reporters on a call on Monday morning. "The Democrats have turned this responsibility into a partisan circus. They tried to smear the name of a good man. They have violated the express wishes of Dr. Ford in this process.”

He then called for a special counsel to investigate the conduct of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), who was confidentially given the letter with Dr. Ford’s claim, along with her staff.

“I call on Sen. McCaskill today to put partisanship aside and support a special counsel to investigate these potential abuses,” Hawley said. McCaskill, one of many Democrats running for reelection in states that President Trump won handily in 2016, has pledged to not vote for Kavanaugh—though the assault allegation was not the sole or primary motivator.

Feinstein has said that the letter was kept confidential at the behest of Dr. Ford who did not want it to be publicized and only revealed her identity after reporters had determined that she was the accuser.