It won’t happen, but Kavanaugh needs to be impeached
After a new, previously unreported allegation of sexual misconduct which alleges that Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh pulled his pants down and pushed his penis into the hand of a female student was revealed in a recent New York Times article, it seems that the best course of action should be his impeachment from the Supreme Court of the United States.
These new allegations come after his contentious confirmation hearings last year which saw Dr. Christine Blasey Ford testify that the justice “groped her and pinned her on a bed,” according to the NYT and after Deborah Ramirez says that Kavanaugh thrust his penis at her, causing her to touch it when she swatted it away.
While it will never happen with the way power is currently concentrated in Congress, Kavanaugh does not deserve his seat on the Supreme Court and should be impeached. He does not deserve a lifetime appointment that comes with a $255,300 salary, according to CNBC.
With Kavanaugh on the bench, he poisons the integrity of the Supreme Court — which seems to be slowly slipping following his politically charged confirmation hearing, their decisions on the detainment of non-citizens and partisan gerrymandering and the stalling of Merrick Garland’s appointment by Mitch McConnell.
“In the last, really 30 years, starting with Justice O’Connor and continuing with Justice Kennedy, there has been a person who found the center or people couldn’t predict in that sort of way,” Justice Elena Kagan said in October of 2018. “That enabled the court to look as though it was not owned by one side or another and was indeed impartial and neutral and fair. It’s not so clear going forward. That sort of middle position, you know, it’s not so clear whether we’ll have it.”
In agreement with Kagan, the legitimacy of the Supreme Court is suffering with Kavanaugh on the bench after a confirmation hearing that seems now to be little more than a sham as it was revealed the FBI and senators did not even investigate these new allegations after being notified by a witness, Max Stier.
Impeachment of federal judges is not something that happens often as only 15 judges — which includes one Supreme Court justice in Samuel Chase in 1803 – have been impeached, according to the Federal Judicial Center.
This editorial board does not expect Kavanaugh to be impeached.
He should be, but he won’t be.
The Republicans led by McConnell currently control the Senate and they will not let Kavanaugh go, even though he could be replaced with a justice just as conservative but not as disgusting as him.
The conservative bloc of the Court is not in any danger if Kavanaugh is impeached because McConnell has worked hard to fill federal court vacancies with conservative judges at a “breakneck pace,” according to Frontline.
Though it will not happen, some presidential candidates such as Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris and Julián Castro have called for his impeachment, according to NPR. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley is set to file an impeachment resolution calling for an impeachment inquiry into Kavanaugh, according to CBS.
In agreement with these candidates and Pressley, the Supreme Court as an institution and the women who have come forward with these allegations deserve better than to have him stay on the Court. It is a disgrace that a man who pulled out his penis and touched women with it at college parties is now sitting on our highest court, setting precedent that will likely stand for years to come, all while accepting a $255,300 salary.
Featured Illustration: Austin Banzon
Based on allegations from someone that doesn’t even remember the alleged incident. Try again.