Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh told senators Wednesday he would be an independent jurist and not bow to the political pressure or the party of the president who nominated him to the high court.
Asked how he defines judicial independence in light of the executive branch, Judge Kavanaugh said no one is above the law.
The question comes as President Trump, who nominated Judge Kavanaugh in July, is under investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller for possible collusion with Russian officials during the 2016 election.
“Under our system of government, the executive branch of government is subject to the law,” Judge Kavanaugh said.
“It’s resisting public pressure, political pressure, it’s treating everyone equally,” he added of judicial independence.
He said judges work together on cases to come up with rulings and don’t depend on themselves to be the ultimate say.
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“You learn from each other when you are deciding cases. You work with each other when you are deciding cases,” Judge Kavanaugh said.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.
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