Sen. Jeff Flake votes to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to Supreme Court
Oct 6, 2018, 2:22 PM
Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., heads to the Senate floor for the confirmation vote of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, on Capitol Hill, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018 in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
PHOENIX — Despite pressure from the left and members of the #MeToo movement, U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) cast his vote in favor of Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court.
After weeks of deliberation amid allegations of sexual misconduct during Kavanaugh’s college years, the Maryland judge earned the important vote of Flake to pass through the Senate by a vote of 50-48.
Flake initially announced he would vote for Kavanaugh, but requested a week-long delay to allow the FBI to investigate allegations of sexual misconduct made against the 53-year-old judge.
When Flake cast his vote in favor of Kavanaugh, one protester shouted, “You’re a coward Flake, a total coward!”
Flake, whose term ends in 2018, decided not to run for re-election. He has used his lame-duck status as leverage to resist efforts to push through items on President Donald Trump’s agenda.
After threatening to vote no for Trump’s tax bill in December, he eventually changed his mind to help the reform pass by a 51-48 margin.
Current members of the U.S. House of Representatives Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Martha McSally (R-Ariz.) are vying for his seat. A debate between the two candidates has been set for Oct. 15.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
