Booker on Leaking Confidential Kavanaugh Docs: ‘I’m Knowingly Violating the Rules’

EXCERPT:

BOOKER: “Sir, may I respond because it was directly invoking me? May I respond, sir? No Senate rule accounts for Bill Burck’s partisan review of the documents. No Senate rule and no history of the Senate accounts for what is going on right now. The — there was — that was following this archives, this partisan operative, following his involvement in this process, that I think in my opinion, undermine the process. And the idea that we could somehow go through your lengthy process, when these documents — many of these documents are dumped on us at the last minute. But Senator Cornyn actually made a very good point. I knowingly violated the rules put forward and I’m told that the committee confidential rules have knowing consequences. And so sir I come from a long line as all us as Americans who understand what that kind of civil disobedience is and I understand the consequences. So I am right now, before your — before your process is finished, I’m going to release the email about racial profiling. And I understand that that, the penalty comes with potential ousting from the Senate. And if Senator Cornyn believes that I violated Senate rules, I — I — I openly invite and accept the consequences of my team releasing that email right now. And I’m releasing it to expose that number one, the emails are being withheld from the public have nothing to do with national security, nothing to jeopardize the sanctity of those ideals that I hold dear. Instead, what I’m releasing this document right now to show, sir, is that we have a process here, for a person, the highest office in the land, for a lifetime appointment, we’re rushing through this before me and my colleagues could even read and digest the information.”