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Delaware Senator Chris Coons Weighs In Ahead Of Kavanaugh Vote

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WILMINGTON, Del. (CBS) --Friday is a pivotal day in the showdown over the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Senators will begin to vote after receiving the FBI report on sexual assault allegations.

Delaware Senator Chris Coons helped pave the way for this next critical step.

On Thursday, he and fellow senators from both sides of the isle took turns privately reviewing a single copy of FBI findings regarding accusations of an 1984 sexual assault by Kavanaugh.

While Coons says that his decision to vote against Kavanaugh's confirmation is based on his judicial philosophies and predates accusations made against the judge. He feels the investigation was not credible and lacked enough interviews.

Coons feels what he read today may very well not change any minds.

Still, he's glad it was pursued.

"It was an important message to lots of people in our country who we heard from, either who are themselves survivors, or whose families who have been touched by sexual assault, who felt angered that there was no investigation of the allegations. Or who contacted us because they were alarmed that it seemed to them Judge Kavanaugh was being unjustly accused and they wanted an opportunity for these accusations to be further investigated and resolved or cleared," said Coons.

Kavanaugh penned an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal Thursday evening saying, "Going forward, you can count on me to be the same kind of judge and person I have been for my entire 28-year legal career: hardworking, even-keeled, open-minded, independent and dedicated to the constitution and the public good."

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