Gov. Baker says no vote on Kavanaugh until independent investigation

BOSTON — Massachusetts' Republican governor calls the accusations made by women against U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh "sickening" and deserving of an "independent investigation."

Charlie Baker also said Thursday on Twitter that there should be no vote taken in the U.S. Senate on Kavanaugh's nomination until the investigation is completed.

The tweet was sent from Baker's official state account at about the same time Christine Blasey Ford began her testimony at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington. Ford says Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when both were in high school. Kavanaugh denies it.

The accusations brought against Judge Kavanaugh are sickening and deserve an independent investigation. There should be no vote in the Senate.
— Charlie Baker (@MassGovernor) September 27, 2018

A request to Baker's office for more details about his tweet was not immediately answered.

Baker, a frequent critic of President Donald Trump's policies, later told reporters: "I believe Professor Ford."

Baker's Democratic challenger, Jay Gonzalez, attended a rally in Boston on Thursday in support of Ford and opposition to Kavanaugh's confirmation.

Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey called Ford's testimony "powerful" and "credible." He added, "Judge Kavanaugh should voluntarily withdraw his own candidacy for a seat on the Supreme Court.”

In a tweet Markey said Kavanaugh's testimony was "angry" and "belligerent," the opposite of the temperament expected of a Supreme Court justice.

Judge #Kavanaugh was angry, belligerent, and disrespectful. He displayed the exact opposite of the kind of temperament expected from a justice on our nation’s top court. Judge Kavanaugh displayed the kind of behavior you would see on the People’s Court, not the Supreme Court.
— Ed Markey (@SenMarkey) September 27, 2018