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Who is Brett Kavanaugh’s supportive wife, Ashley Kavanaugh? She stood by her Supreme Court Associate Justice husband during his nomination hearings scandal – but new revelations have emerged

Brett M. Kavanaugh stands with his wife, Ashley Kavanaugh, and his family. Photo: Getty Images
Brett M. Kavanaugh stands with his wife, Ashley Kavanaugh, and his family. Photo: Getty Images

In 2018, Brett Kavanaugh faced allegations of sexual misconduct during his nomination hearings, but an FBI investigation didn’t find much – a new report claims the investigation was limited

Cast your mind back a few years and you may remember a certain Brett Kavanaugh, the Supreme Court Justice nominee that United States president Donald Trump was backing to take a seat in the country’s highest court. At the time of his nomination hearings, Kavanaugh became embroiled in a scandal when sexual misconduct allegations were levelled against him.

Now, the scandal is back in the spotlight, just ahead of the forthcoming US elections. Last month, it was revealed that a new Senate report found that the Trump administration, which had nominated Kavanaugh for his Supreme Court role, had “stopped” the FBI from fully investigating the claims against him.

In 2018, the allegations against Kavanaugh were made public when the #MeToo movement was at its peak, with millions of women stepping forward to recount their experiences of sexual assault and harassment. Against this charged backdrop, Kavanaugh’s wife Ashley – an experienced political player herself – publicly defended her man against the claims. Brett went on to have his nomination confirmed and become an associate justice in the Supreme Court.
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Ashley became a global talking point for seemingly going against the #MeToo movement. Here’s what you need to know about Brett’s scandal and Ashley’s role in her husband’s success.

What are the findings in the new report about Brett Kavanaugh’s sexual misconduct claims?

Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill, Washington, in September 2018. According to a poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, only one in four people thought he was completely honest during his pivotal testimony to the committee. Photo: AP
Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill, Washington, in September 2018. According to a poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, only one in four people thought he was completely honest during his pivotal testimony to the committee. Photo: AP

In 2018, the allegations against Kavanaugh were supposedly investigated, though ultimately returned limited findings. Since then, Democratic senators have scrutinised the FBI’s investigation – and a report just released by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse finds that the FBI probe was considerably limited.

Whitehouse and his staff have spent the last six years conducting their own investigation into the claims against Kavanaugh and the initial FBI investigation, which was completed during his nomination hearing. The Rhode Island senator said his inquiry faced significant delays because of the executive branch’s “reluctance to answer even basic questions”.

Key findings from the report include claims that the Trump administration protected Kavanaugh from a comprehensive FBI inquiry. It states that the administration and the FBI “misled the public and the Senate” about its own investigation into the allegations against Kavanaugh, leaving out potential evidence.

What were the original 2018 claims against Brett Kavanaugh?