FBI may complete Kavanaugh work today

WASHINGTON — The FBI is expected to complete its investigation into allegations of sexual assault against Judge Brett Kavanaugh and deliver the results to the Senate as early as Wednesday, and Republican leaders said Tuesday that they expect to vote on his Supreme Court nomination this week.

"We’ll have an FBI report this week, and we’ll have a vote this week," Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, told reporters Tuesday after the Republicans’ weekly policy luncheon. But McConnell would not say whether that would be a final vote or a procedural vote allowing the Senate to begin debate.

Once the investigation is completed, the FBI will send reports about its interviews to the Senate, where members will have a chance to review them. Several Republicans — including Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the No. 2 Republican — said Tuesday that they would like to see the findings made public in some form.

"People are not going to be satisfied until some public statement about what the FBI supplemental background investigation shows," Cornyn said.

The FBI has completed its interview of Mark Judge, Kavanaugh's high school friend who Christine Blasey Ford said was in the room as she was assaulted, Judge's attorney said Tuesday. Judge has in the past said he has no recollection of an attempted rape by Kavanaugh.

Barbara Van Gelder, the attorney, said in a statement: "We are not commenting on the questions the FBI asked Mr. Judge."

Ford, a California research psychologist, testified in a Senate hearing last week that Kavanaugh tried unsuccessfully to rape her during a high school party while Judge watched. Kavanaugh, who is President Donald Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court, angrily denied the accusation.