Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told POLITICO on Saturday that the Judiciary Committee “ought to take a look at” the initial media report of Ford’s letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), laying out her assault claim against Kavanaugh. That media report included no details of Ford’s allegation, describing its topic as “an incident involving Kavanaugh and a woman while they were in high school.”

But Republicans have seized on the public disclosure of the letter which the judge’s accuser had asked to remain confidential.

“I think It clearly was, honestly, a despicable thing to do to Dr. Ford,” McConnell said. “And it kind of underscored the tactics that have been used: It started in committee and then went straight out into the public.”