Judge Brett Kavanaugh told senators on Thursday that he never had any “inappropriate conversations” about special counsel Robert Mueller’s ongoing investigation with a law firm whose name came up during his Supreme Court confirmation hearing.
“I don’t recall any conversations of that kind with any one at that law firm,” Kavanaugh told lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The question about possible conversations came from Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, after Sen. Kamala Harris late Wednesday asked if he had spoken about the Russia investigation to any lawyers at the law firm Kasowitz Benson and Torres.
Marc Kasowitz, founder of the firm, briefly represented President Trump in the Mueller investigation from May 24, 2017 to July 20, 2017. The law firm has nine offices across numerous states.
“I’m not sure I know everyone who works at that law firm,” Kavanaugh told Harris late Wednesday.
“How can you not remember whether you’ve had a conversation about Robert Mueller or his investigation with anyone at that law firm?” Harris, D-Calif., pressed, suggesting that he was “thinking of someone and you don’t want to tell us.”
Kavanaugh did admit to speaking with his fellow judges about Mueller’s probe given the media attention it has received and its continuation.
Mueller was appointed on May 17, 2017, by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to lead the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and possible ties between Russian officials and the Trump campaign.
Thursday is day three for Kavanaugh, as Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court, to face another round of questions from Republicans and Democrats.
[Also read: Kavanaugh vows to keep ‘open mind’ on indictment, investigation of sitting president]
