Yahoo News explains: Brett Kavanaugh’s shocking memo

On Monday, a 1998 memo written by Brett Kavanaugh was released in full by the National Archives, and it reveals sexually explicit questions proposed for President Bill Clinton about his relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Kavanaugh is President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee and worked for Ken Starr, the independent counsel who investigated a series of scandals during Clinton’s presidency. The memo sheds light on Kavanaugh’s outlook on presidential power, and reveals he was “strongly opposed” to giving Clinton any “break” in questioning.

His memo took a hard-line approach: “The President has disgraced his Office, the legal system, and the American people by having sex with a 22-year-old intern and turning her life into a shambles — callous and disgusting behavior that has somehow gotten lost in the shuffle.”

During preparation for questioning Clinton, Kavanaugh wrote the memo to urge prosecutors to ask graphic questions about Clinton’s relationship with Lewinsky.

The shocking questions in the memo include: “If Monica Lewinsky says that you inserted a cigar into her vagina while you were in the Oval Office area, would she be lying?” and “If Monica Lewinsky says that you ejaculated into her mouth on two occasions in the Oval Office area, would she be lying?”

The Washington Post said Kavanaugh’s spokesman and the White House declined to comment on the memo. It also said Robert Bittman, a former Starr deputy, remembers Kavanaugh regretted the tone of the memo and recognized it as a “misstep.”

Next month, Kavanaugh will appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee for confirmation hearings for Supreme Court justice. If he’s confirmed, his view on executive power could be relevant if he’s asked to rule on matters related to special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of the Trump campaign.