Kavanaugh's views on presidential authority 'concerning' -analyst

Record ID: 1354541

  • Title: Kavanaugh's views on presidential authority 'concerning' -analyst
  • Date: 2nd September 2018
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (FILE - JULY 10, 2018) (UNRESTRICTED POOL) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** JUDGE BRETT KAVANAUGH ENTERING ROOM, SHAKING HANDS WITH SENATE MAJORITY LEADER MITCH MCCONNELL KAVANAUGH POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS WITH MCCONNELL, VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE AND FORMER SENATOR JON KYL
  • Embargoed: 16th September 2018 18:01
  • Keywords: Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court nominee nomination hearings executive power presidential authority Mueller investigation
  • Location: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
  • City: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Lawmaking,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA0038VYG8CN
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's views on executive authority are expected to be a key issue as the confirmation hearings begin on Tuesday (September 4).
    Kavanaugh, 53, has argued that presidents should be free from civil lawsuits, criminal prosecutions and investigations while in office. However, in the 1990s, Kavanaugh helped investigate Democratic former President Bill Clinton working for independent counsel Kenneth Starr.
    "It certainly is concerning that it seems as if maybe his views on presidential authority and the ability of the president to be considered above the law seemed to shift depending on who's in the White House," said Elizabeth Wdyra, president of the Constitutional Accountability Center in Washington.
    But some legal scholars contend that no conclusion can be drawn from Kavanaugh's past writings on the subject.
    Republican President Donald Trump nominated Kavanaugh on July 9 to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy. Before he can assume the lifetime job on the nine-member court, the Republican-controlled Senate must vote to confirm him.
    The new justice can be expected to cast crucial votes on other matters of national importance including gay rights, gun control, the death penalty and voting rights.
    The court could also be called upon to render judgment on issues of personal significance to Trump and his administration including matters arising from Special Counsel Robert Mueller's ongoing Russia-related investigation and several civil lawsuits pending against Trump.
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