Sen. Tom Cotton
Tom Bryant CottonPompeo to headline fundraiser for Youngkin Cotton to stump for Iowa GOP candidate amid 2024 speculation America's pandemic of COVID hypocrisy MORE (R-Ark.) asserted on Sunday that Sen. Dianne Feinstein
Dianne Emiel FeinsteinWyden asks White House for details on jet fuel shortage amid wildfire season California's crazy politics need a fix Hillicon Valley: Federal cyber agency kicks off effort to defend US against cyberattacks | Senators introduce bill to sanction nations tied to ransomware attacks | Amazon pushes back corporate reopening MORE (D-Calif.) will face an investigation over her handling of a letter from Christine Blasey Ford in which she alleged Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her decades ago.
Appearing on CBS's "Face the Nation," Cotton disputed the legitimacy of Feinstein's claim that she did not disclose Ford's letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley
Chuck GrassleyCotton to stump for Iowa GOP candidate amid 2024 speculation Senate gives Biden big bipartisan win The 19 GOP senators who voted for the T infrastructure bill MORE (R-Iowa) because Ford had asked it remain private.
"They have betrayed her. They pointed her to lawyers who lied to her and did not tell her that the committee staff was willing to go to California to interview her. Now all of that is water under the bridge," Cotton said.
"Those lawyers are going to face a D.C. bar investigation into their misconduct," he continued. "Dianne Feinstein and her staff is going to face an investigation for why they leaked that."
WATCH: "Those lawyers are going to face a D.C. bar investigation into their misconduct. Dianne Feinstein and her staff is going to face an investigation into their misconduct," @SenTomCotton tells @FaceTheNation https://t.co/gQQdnAYUMb pic.twitter.com/zzHboxnXzD
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) September 30, 2018
Cotton did not elaborate on who would conduct such an investigation, but Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, has adamantly denied that her office leaked Ford's letter.
Feinstein's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Feinstein first received a letter from Ford detailing the allegations in July, but Ford had asked that it remain private.
Ford went public with her allegation earlier this month that Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed and groped her during a high school party in the 1980s after reports began to surface that Feinstein turned over a letter to the FBI that included a sexual assault allegation against Kavanaugh.
Kavanaugh has denied the allegations.
Cotton took his attacks on Feinstein a step further on Sunday, arguing that if Kavanaugh is confirmed, any negative effects it has on the willingness among women to share their stories of sexual assault should be blamed on Feinstein and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer
Chuck SchumerBiden confident Republicans will vote to raise debt ceiling Hochul touts readiness, distance from Cuomo Senate confirms Biden's first ambassador MORE (D-N.Y.).
"Any impact that this entire episode has had on women's willingness to come forward and report sexual assault, which I encourage them all to do immediately after it happens, is caused by the Democrats, is caused by Dianne Feinstein and Chuck SchumerChuck SchumerBiden confident Republicans will vote to raise debt ceiling Hochul touts readiness, distance from Cuomo Senate confirms Biden's first ambassador MORE not respecting her requests for confidentiality," Cotton said.
Following Ford's allegation, Republicans have focused much of their criticism on Feinstein for not sharing the claim with them or with Kavanaugh earlier in the confirmation process.
At a rally Saturday night, President Trump
Donald TrumpStudy finds more than 9,000 anti-Asian attacks took place since March 2020 Biden marks fourth anniversary of Charlottesville Trump, House committee to appeal judge's order to hand over some tax records MORE stoked speculation that Feinstein or her staff may have leaked the letter, basing his claims on her body language.
