Democrat calls for delay in Brett Kavanaugh vote amid blocked documents and sexual misconduct allegation

Democrats are still attempting to subpoena records from the Supreme Court nominee's time at the White House

Democratic Senator Dick Durbin has called for the delay of the 20 September vote on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh ( SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

Democratic Senator Dick Durbin has called for a delay in the vote regarding Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

“There are far too many questions swirling around this nomination,” Mr Durbin said, urging Republicans on the US Senate Judiciary Committee to delay the scheduled 20 September vote.

“The American people deserve to know who Judge Kavanaugh is, but Republicans are trying to rush through this nomination while concealing critical parts of the nominee’s record,” Mr Durbin tweeted.

Democrats have requested documents from Mr Kavanaugh’s work as a staff secretary for former Republican President George W Bush from 2003 to 2006 as well as 100,000 pages of records the Trump administration has sought to block.

Committee Republicans, who have the majority, have quashed all related requests.

Mr Durbin and his fellow party members issued six subpoenas total in their investigation of Mr Trump's second nomination after Neil Gorsuch to the highest court in the country.

Senator Dianne Feinstein requested the White House records from the National Archives and accused Republicans of “hiding” something about Mr Kavanaugh.

Senator Mazie Hirono, from Hawaii, also attempted to subpoena Mr Kavanaugh’s staff secretary records citing that his work was "confronted with issues relating to Native Hawaiian rights."

Mr Durbin’s subpoena concerned any records of the nominee’s work on advising Mr Bush on matters of torture, a matter which repeatedly came up during the administration amid the Iraq and Afghanistan wars as well as conditions at the prison at Guantanamo Bay.

Using the hashtag “#whataretheyhiding,” Mr Durbin tweeted the accusation Mr Kavanaugh has been “misleading” the committee in his latest hearing.

“And Republicans are hiding documents for 35 months when he was a top advisor to President Bush and worked on controversial issues like abortion, torture, warrantless wiretapping, and banning same-sex marriage,” Mr Durbin wrote.

Mr Kavanaugh was also recently accused of sexual misconduct by a woman he went to the Georgetown Preparatory School nearly 40 years ago. He denies the allegations, but it has re-ignited calls for the vote to be delayed and questions surrounding his testimony.

“We must respect and listen to survivors of sexual assault,” Mr Durbin also tweeted.

Republicans, despite denying knowing about the allegation ahead of the public announcement, had a letter signed by 65 women who attended high school with Mr Kavanaugh within hours. The letter stated Mr Kavanaugh had behaved “honourably” around women.