Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) is escalating a contentious dispute over Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s records, pressing former president George W. Bush directly to release all the documents from the nominee’s five years in the White House. Senate Republicans have pushed back against the Democrats’ demand, calling it a delaying tactic and arguing that staff secretary papers would give no insight into how Kavanaugh — President Trump’s pick to replace retiring Justice Anthony M. Kennedy — would act as a judge. “I understand that you have a right to review your administration’s documents before they are released, and there is nothing wrong with that,” Schumer wrote to Bush. Without support from Democrats, Grassley sent the formal request on Friday evening for Kavanaugh’s counsel office records. Burck has been Bush’s point person for his presidential records since Bush left office in January 2009.

Source: Washington Post July 27, 2018 16:10 UTC