Alex Wroblewski/Reuters
Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh resisted Sen. Dick Durbin’s (D-IL) calls for an FBI investigation during Thursday’s hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Durbin suggested Kavanaugh ask White House lawyer Don McGhan “to suspend this hearing and nomination process until the FBI completes its investigation of the charges made by Dr. Ford and others.” Kavanaugh replied that he would “welcome whatever the committee wants to do[.]” Durbin then demanded to know if Kavanaugh supports an FBI probe. “I’m telling the truth! I’m innocent,” Kavanaugh exclaimed. “I’m innocent of this charge.” “You’re prepared for an FBI investigation?” Durbin then asked. “They don’t reach conclusions. You reach the conclusions, Senator,” Kavanaugh replied. Durbin also suggested that Kavanaugh might be “afraid” that an investigation would not find him innocent, which prompted groans from senators. At the end of the exchange, Durbin asked Kavanaugh once more whether he thought an FBI investigation would be the “best” course of action, at which point Kavanaugh remained silent.