Senate Republicans on Thursday accused Sen. Cory Booker of creating fake drama by claiming to disclose “committee confidential” material on Kavanaugh when the documents had already been cleared for release.
“I think Sen. Booker wants to make himself a martyr in aid of his presidential campaign,” said Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, a member of the Judiciary Committee.
Booker, D-N.J., who may have presidential aspirations, is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is conducting Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s often contentious confirmation hearing this week.
Booker last night released four “committee confidential” documents he said related to Kavanaugh’s views on racial profiling when he worked for then-President George W. Bush.
[Opinion: Sen. Booker’s Kavanaugh email stunt is a total dud]
On Thursday, he dared the Senate to punish him for releasing the papers. Republicans admonished him for the move, and it appeared even Republicans believed the documents remained confidential and that Booker had broken Senate rules by releasing them.
Fellow Democrats and progressive activists praised Booker for releasing the documents. “Profile in courage. The Senate will not dare take disciplinary action against @corybooker,” MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell tweeted.
But later in the afternoon, officials at the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum said the documents were cleared for public release Wednesday night, which means Booker didn’t break any rules.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, another member of the panel, downplayed any tension over unreleased documents. He said Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and the panel’s top Democrat, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., “can actually work together,” and negotiated the public release of documents Leahy had requested.
Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, followed Booker’s move to release “committee confidential” documents and tweeted other unreleased emails from Kavanaugh’s years working for Bush.
Booker continued to release new documents Thursday afternoon on his Twitter account, although all of the documents requested by Democrats were cleared for release, according to Bush library officials.
“We will continue to release more committee confidential documents to draw attention to this sham process,” Booker said.
