The Ethics Committee may consider punishing Sen. Cory Booker for releasing confidential documents related to Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said.
McConnell, R-Ky., told Hugh Hewitt “it wouldn’t surprise me,” if the Senate Select Committee on Ethics examines whether Booker, D-N.J., broke the rules by releasing documents from Kavanaugh’s time working for former President George W. Bush.
The documents were marked “committee confidential” by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.
Booker announced Thursday he was releasing the documents because they related to Kavanaugh’s views on racial profiling.
“Let me just say this,” McConnell said, when Hewitt asked him about Booker’s actions. “When you break the Senate rules, it’s something the Ethics Committee could take a look at. And that would be up to them to decide. But it’s routinely looked at [by] the Ethics Committee.”
It’s not clear what rule if any Booker violated.
[Related: GOP mocks Cory Booker for ‘Spartacus’ gaffe]
McConnell added the panel is independent and decides what to investigate without leadership input.
Officials for the George W. Bush library, who control the documents, said they gave Booker permission to release them.
Booker, however, contends he made the documents before permission was granted. He told Senate Republicans he is willing to face potential punishment because he believes the documents should not have been secret.
Republicans have accused Booker of releasing the documents to promote himself and a potential presidential run in 2020.
The Senate ethics panel comprises three Republicans and three Democrats, including Judiciary Committee member Chris Coons, D-Del., who is the panel vice chairman.
Coons, like Booker, has criticized the GOP’s handling of the Kavanaugh paper trail, arguing not enough of the Bush-era documents have been released.
While Booker could face consequences as serious as expulsion, the ethics panel has a reputation of rarely meting out punishment.
