The American Bar Association has taken the unusual step of requesting an FBI investigation into sexual assault allegations against U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh before the Senate votes on his confirmation.

In a Sept. 27 letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, ABA elected President Robert Carlson said the FBI should conduct a background check into the allegations against the nominees. The letter specifically mentioned psychology professor Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Kavanaugh and one of his friends of attempting to rape her when they were teenagers. At least two other women have accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct but Carlson did not mention them by name.

Carlson did not weigh in on the merits of the accusations but said the investigation was needed to prevent erosion of public trust in the Supreme Court.

"Each appointment to our nation's Highest Court (as with all others) is simply too important to rush to a vote," Carlson said. "Deciding to proceed without conducting additional investigation would not only have a lasting impact on the Senate's reputation, but it will also negatively affect the great trust necessary for the American people to have in the Supreme Court. It must remain an institution that will reliably follow the law and not politics."

ABA usually does not comment on Supreme Court nominations beyond declaring whether a nominee is qualified for the job. The association has rated Kavanaugh "well qualified," just has it has for the last eight nominees.

The association community has been relatively silent about Kavanaugh's nomination since the allegations became public. Some business groups were supportive of Kavanaugh when he was first nominated by President Donald Trump, with the National Federation of Independent Business and U.S. Chamber of Commerce both issuing endorsements. The Chamber has also declared the nomination a "key vote," meaning senators' votes for or against Kavanaugh will be reflected on the business group's annual scorecard.

At least one association opposes the nomination. The Hispanic National Bar Association said in a statement that it could not support Kavanaugh because the group had concerns about his "ability to fully and fairly consider the impact of his and the Court's decisions on issues of importance to the association and the Hispanic population in the United States."

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