Michael Bidwill Still Thinks High School Pal Brett Kavanaugh Should Be Confirmed To The Supreme Court

Arizona Cardinals President Michael Bidwill directly mixed politics with football— maybe he wouldn’t think so, but that’s what he did—in July, when he used the team’s website to support Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, his old high school classmate at Georgetown Prep. Although Kavanaugh, who is currently in the middle of confirmation hearings, has been accused of sexual misconduct in high school, Bidwill is standing by his chum.

Two months ago, Bidwill contributed to a letter of support that was sent to the Judiciary Committee, the group of senators who oversee the confirmation process. This was his reasoning:

“The purpose of the letter is to talk about Brett as a person,” Bidwill, out of the country on vacation, said in a phone interview. “We have known him and known what a brilliant mind he has. He’s eminently qualified.

“I think now that he’s been selected by the President, he will go through a thorough vetting process and as they go through that process they will learn about the great person we know. He is a man of high character, high intelligence, excellence and independence. We want to speak up and show our support as former classmates and long-time friends.”

On Thursday, Sen. Dianne Feinstein said she “received information from an individual concerning the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court” that she had passed along to the FBI. This morning, Jane Mayer and Ronan Farrow of The New Yorker reported the details of that information, which described Kavanaugh’s alleged sexual misconduct (which the judge denies ever happening):

The allegation dates back to the early nineteen-eighties, when Kavanaugh was a high-school student at Georgetown Preparatory School, in Bethesda, Maryland, and the woman attended a nearby high school. In the letter, the woman alleged that, during an encounter at a party, Kavanaugh held her down, and that he attempted to force himself on her. She claimed in the letter that Kavanaugh and a classmate of his, both of whom had been drinking, turned up music that was playing in the room to conceal the sound of her protests, and that Kavanaugh covered her mouth with his hand. She was able to free herself. Although the alleged incident took place decades ago and the three individuals involved were minors, the woman said that the memory had been a source of ongoing distress for her, and that she had sought psychological treatment as a result.

Reached for comment, a Cardinals spokesperson said Bidwill had no knowledge of the sexual assault allegation against Kavanaugh; still supported his confirmation despite the allegation; was not the other classmate referenced in the letter; and didn’t know who the other classmate was. If you have any more information, drop