White House aides say Trump didn’t set limits on Kavanaugh probe

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump’s team pushed back against reports that the White House has laid down the ground rules for a brief FBI probe into Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Trump ordered the investigation on Friday into the sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh following a request by Senate Republicans, a striking turnabout for a nominee the party had hoped to power through the chamber and onto the nation’s top court by early this week.

The probe, though, will be limited in scope in ways determined by the White House, a person familiar with the proceedings said on Saturday. That includes not following up on claims of sexual misconduct by Kavanaugh from a third woman. The nominee’s alcohol use may also reportedly be off-limits.


Not true, said White House senior counselor Kellyanne Conway. “The White House is not getting involved in the FBI investigation in that way,” she said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “The president very much respects the independence of the FBI.”