The nation’s leading newspaper has been forced to make a major retraction and correction after publishing a story that misled readers about Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
The New York Times’ article sparked calls by Democrats for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s impeachment.
The paper admitted friends of the alleged victim of sexual misconduct said she does not recall the event.
The correction, published as calls for impeachment mounted, also noted that the original article had omitted the fact that the woman had declined to be interviewed.
The so-called bombshell article by The New York Times was cited by a number of presidential contenders and other lawmakers as a basis to impeach Kavanaugh.
The newly revealed information was in the soon-to-be-published book on which the article is based. The book and the article were penned by two New York Times reporters, Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly.
The article largely covered previously reported allegations about the Supreme Court justice but claimed to have uncovered a “previously unreported story.”
That story, according to the authors, is that a classmate of Kavanaugh, Clinton-connected nonprofit CEO Max Stier, “saw Mr. Kavanaugh with his pants down at a different drunken dorm party” in a lewd situation. According to The New York Times, Stier claimed he “notified senators and the FBI about this account, but the FBI did not investigate and Mr. Stier has declined to discuss it publicly.”
The article does not indicate when Stier informed the FBI. More significantly, it does not say whether it was before or after the two Stiles College alumni found themselves on opposing sides during the investigations into President Bill Clinton’s real estate dealings as part of the 1990s Whitewater investigation.
Stier was one of several attorneys representing Clinton, while Kavanaugh worked for Independent Counsel Ken Starr—a fact omitted by The New York Times.
The fresh allegations are similar to those made by Deborah Ramirez—that Kavanaugh exposed himself at a party—which the judge denied under oath during his confirmation hearing.
The New York Times correction stated: “An earlier version of this article, which was adapted from a forthcoming book, did not include one element of the book’s account regarding an assertion by a Yale classmate… [lewd details omitted].”
“The book reports that the female student declined to be interviewed and friends say that she does not recall the incident. That information has been added to the article,” it added.Impeachment Claims
The New York Times story rekindled accusations that Kavanaugh had lied under oath, and was thus impeachable.
Democratic presidential hopefuls Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Beto O’Rourke, and Julian Castro called for Kavanaugh to be “be impeached.”
“I sat through those hearings,” Sen. Kamala Harris, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, wrote on Twitter. “Brett Kavanaugh lied to the U.S. Senate and most importantly to the American people. He was put on the Court through a sham process and his place on the Court is an insult to the pursuit of truth and justice. He must be impeached.”
Warren, meanwhile, wrote that “confirmation is not exoneration, and these newest revelations are disturbing,” while lending her voice to the impeachment charge.
Sanders also said that he supports “any appropriate constitutional mechanism to hold him accountable.”
After the publication of the original story, President Donald Trump saidKavanaugh “should start suing people for libel.”
“The Justice Department should come to his rescue,” added Trump on Sunday. “The lies being told about him are unbelievable. False Accusations without recrimination. When does it stop? They are trying to influence his opinions. Can’t let that happen!”
–EPTimes