PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - The Latest on Sen. Susan Collins and Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh (all times local):
8:30 p.m.
Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine says she agrees with many, but not all of the requests, made by attorneys for the woman accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of a long-ago sexual assault.
Collins, a swing vote on the nomination, spoke to reporters in New Hampshire on Friday night, after the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee said his panel will vote Monday on the nomination if there’s no agreement with attorneys for Christine Blasey Ford by 10 p.m.
Colllins says Ford’s attorneys should respond quickly, but did not directly answer whether she disagreed with scheduling a vote for Monday if the deadline isn’t met.
Collins says she agrees that Ford should be allowed to testify later in the week without Kavanaugh present, and said she has recommended that lawyers for the two sides be allowed to do the questioning. She said she disagrees with the request that Ford testify after Kavanaugh.
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12:54 p.m.
Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine says she’s “appalled” by President Donald Trump’s tweet criticizing his Supreme Court nominee’s accuser.
Collins also said Friday in Portland that it’s reasonable for Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation vote to delayed to allow Christine Blasey (BLAH’-zee) Ford to testify Wednesday or Thursday. She also said it’s important for the Judiciary Committee to “make it as comfortable as possible.”
Kavanaugh’s nomination as been thrown into doubt by Ford’s allegations that he sexually assaulted her when they were teens. He denies the allegations.
On Friday, Trump tweeted that if the incident was a “bad” as Ford says, then she or her parents should’ve brought criminal charges.
Collins, a swing vote on the nomination, said the California college professor needs to testify so senators can assess her credibility.
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