Subject: Statement on FBI Role in Nominations
From: "Bill Russo" <[email-masked]>
To: "Valerie Owens" <[email-masked]>, "Jill Biden" <[email-masked]>, "JRB ware" <[email-masked]>, <[email-masked]>, <[email-masked]>, <[email-masked]>, <[email-masked]>, <[email-masked]>, <[email-masked]>
Cc: "Kathy Chung" <[email-masked]>, "Richard Ruffner" <[email-masked]>, "steve ricchetti" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2018 16:53:59 -0400

All -

At the Vice President's request, passing along today's statement in
response to Republican attempts to mischaracterize his statements on the
role of FBI investigations in the nomination process:

*There is clearly an effort on the part of the White House and Senate
Republicans to take out of context then-Senator Biden’s statements about
the role of the FBI in the judicial nomination process to create a
smoke-screen for their unprecedented refusal to have the FBI conduct an
investigation into credible charges. Senator Biden made those comments in
response to Senator Hatch's attempts to frame the FBI's 1991 report on
Clarence Thomas as exculpatory.  His point was that the FBI plays an
investigative role in the nomination process; they do not make
recommendations.  That is the sole responsibility of the Senate -- to
advise and consent.  Vice President Biden believes that the FBI should have
investigated in this case in advance of Dr. Blasey Ford's courageous
testimony today, just as they did in 1991.*

Regards,
Bill

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Bill Russo
Spokesperson
Office of Vice President Joe Bide