Kavanaugh, Brett Michael

Kavanaugh, Brett Michael, 1965–, associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (2018–), b. Washington, D.C., grad. Yale (B.A. 1987, J.D. 1990). He clerked for Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy and worked for independent counsel Kenneth Starr's investigation of the Clinton administration. After a period in private practice, Kavanaugh served in the George W. Bush administration as an associate White House counsel (2001–3) and assistant to the president and White House staff secretary (2003–6). In 2006 he was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Regarded as a conservative, he was named (2018) by President Donald Trump to the Supreme Court. During his confirmation hearings he was accused of excessive drinking and sexual assault during his high school and college years; he denied the charges and denounced them as politically motivated.

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