1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,000 Speaker 1: I'm Kevin Cirelli, Chief Washington correspondent FRO Bloomberg TV and 2 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:05,280 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Radio, and there's never enough time, which is why 3 00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:08,280 Speaker 1: I'm so glad we have the sound on extra podcasts. 4 00:00:08,280 --> 00:00:11,239 Speaker 1: And joining me here today is Mike Davis. It's his 5 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 1: first time on the program. Who are so thrilled to 6 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:16,320 Speaker 1: have him. He's former Chief council for Nominations for the 7 00:00:16,360 --> 00:00:20,840 Speaker 1: Senate Judiciary Committee during the Gorsich and Kavanaugh nominations to 8 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:24,040 Speaker 1: the Supreme Court. He's got a vantage point behind the scenes, 9 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:25,439 Speaker 1: and that's what I want to focus on. Like I 10 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:28,479 Speaker 1: don't want to relitigate Kavanaugh, you know, whether people like 11 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:30,480 Speaker 1: him or don't like him. I don't want to relitigate it. 12 00:00:30,520 --> 00:00:34,400 Speaker 1: I just want to take people behind the scenes, especially 13 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:41,160 Speaker 1: the like a couple of hours before Brett Kavanall testified 14 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:45,280 Speaker 1: before the Senate Judiciary Committee, and on the on the 15 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:47,600 Speaker 1: day when Christine Lassie Ford did as well. That day, 16 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:51,720 Speaker 1: covering that was it gripped the nation in particular, what 17 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 1: was what were you doing the night before that hearing 18 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:57,520 Speaker 1: and the morning of that hearing and just walk us 19 00:00:57,520 --> 00:00:59,959 Speaker 1: through your day. Well, it was a pretty intense time 20 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:02,720 Speaker 1: and we were putting in very long hours. Um, these 21 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:06,200 Speaker 1: allegations were coming in to the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 22 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:09,520 Speaker 1: we are working around the clock to investigate the allegations. 23 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:14,000 Speaker 1: Chairman Grassley had up to forty people on his staff 24 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:18,560 Speaker 1: chasing down all of these leads. UM. Chairman Grassley issued 25 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:24,800 Speaker 1: nearly fourage report that that included everything that we did, 26 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:27,679 Speaker 1: and that's on that was released on his website. But 27 00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 1: we were extremely busy. The night before Judge Kavanall, then 28 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:37,039 Speaker 1: Judge Kavanall came to testify for the Ford for doctor 29 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:42,440 Speaker 1: related to Dr Ford's allegations. UM, we had a routine 30 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:47,360 Speaker 1: background investigation phone call with Judge that then Judge Kavanaugh 31 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:49,720 Speaker 1: the night before he came into testify and we asked 32 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 1: him about these allegations. UM. That transcript has since been 33 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:57,480 Speaker 1: released publicly so people can can read it themselves. But 34 00:01:57,480 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 1: he only equivocally denied these allegations. How late were you 35 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:01,640 Speaker 1: guys were in the night before? Was into the early 36 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 1: morning or I mean we worked until three four o'clock 37 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:08,079 Speaker 1: in the morning. Wow. Another thing that we were trying 38 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:10,639 Speaker 1: to do is, uh, you know, we're chasing all these leads. 39 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:12,359 Speaker 1: We're just getting ready. I mean there was a lot. 40 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:15,359 Speaker 1: There was a lot of incoming to the committee, and 41 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:19,360 Speaker 1: we wanted to make sure that that that all of 42 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 1: these allegations were investigated. So you work until like four 43 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:24,080 Speaker 1: in the morning. Do you sleep on the hill? Do 44 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:27,680 Speaker 1: you go back to your place? Yeah? I mean, fortunately 45 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:30,919 Speaker 1: the most of our places were close to the Capitol, 46 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:33,079 Speaker 1: so you can go home and sleep for a couple 47 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:35,359 Speaker 1: of Where did you guys watch for Did you watch it? 48 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:37,000 Speaker 1: I mean we were in the room, were you guys? 49 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:39,400 Speaker 1: Was there like a how how was that set up? To? Like? 50 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:42,480 Speaker 1: Responding to that, I guess the better question is did 51 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:47,000 Speaker 1: did kavan on testimony change or the delivery of his 52 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 1: testimony change at all? Based on what she said? What 53 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:53,080 Speaker 1: do you mean to the delivery is? I remember I 54 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:56,280 Speaker 1: worked for Chairman Chuck Grass on the Senate Judiciary Committee 55 00:02:56,280 --> 00:02:59,880 Speaker 1: and I was sitting behind him the whole time. But wow, wow, 56 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:03,000 Speaker 1: so you're that guy in the frame. So so how 57 00:03:03,080 --> 00:03:04,880 Speaker 1: were you nervous? I mean that must have I mean, 58 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:07,520 Speaker 1: so you can't make a move. People, I think when 59 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:09,120 Speaker 1: they watch at home and they look at the staffers 60 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:12,480 Speaker 1: on the wall, they want to know, like, what is 61 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:15,400 Speaker 1: it like to be sitting behind these you know, people 62 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:19,280 Speaker 1: who are you know, shaping history. Well, I mean, you know, 63 00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:21,680 Speaker 1: we're just the staffers. It's actually the you know, the 64 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:25,080 Speaker 1: nominee and the senators who are doing the real work. Um, 65 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:27,040 Speaker 1: but I you know, our job is to be professional 66 00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:29,239 Speaker 1: and just sit back there and provide the support that 67 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:32,240 Speaker 1: the chairman and the other senator's need. Wow. Wow, what 68 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:34,920 Speaker 1: did you do after that day? What did I do 69 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:36,840 Speaker 1: after them? When you got home from work after that 70 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:38,680 Speaker 1: hearing day? What was like the first thing you did? 71 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:42,200 Speaker 1: It was I don't even remember. It was so intense. So, 72 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:44,440 Speaker 1: I mean that was that was you know that the 73 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:46,280 Speaker 1: game wasn't over at that point. We still had a 74 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:48,160 Speaker 1: lot of work to do to make sure that that 75 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 1: Kavanall got over the finish line. You know what we're 76 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:52,600 Speaker 1: gonna do. You're gonna come back and then we're gonna 77 00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:55,120 Speaker 1: talk in the next sound on extra the next time 78 00:03:55,120 --> 00:03:57,840 Speaker 1: you're on the program about the vote and what that 79 00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:00,200 Speaker 1: meant and what happened there. So that's a t ease 80 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:03,040 Speaker 1: to the tease. I'm Kevin's really chief Washington correspondent for 81 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:06,720 Speaker 1: Bloomberg and very much appreciative to Mike Davis, very much 82 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:10,880 Speaker 1: appreciative fascinating vantage point um and we're grateful to have 83 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 1: you on the show. Thank you, thank you.