US Supreme Court nominee questioned over private poker games

Brett Kavanaugh, the U.S. Supreme Court Justice nominee backed by President Donald Trump, has had to suffer through an in-depth grilling by Congress. While many of the questions are routine and boilerplate, one Senator brought up a few questions that went beyond the norm.

As part of a 14-page questionnaire, Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse asked, “Do you play in a regular or periodic poker game? If yes, please list the dates, participants, location/venue, and amounts won/lost.” He also asked about some baseball tickets that Kavanaugh had purchased, and about some repairs he had made to his home. Surprisingly, he didn’t ask him about the color of his briefs.

Whitehouse also asked, “Since 2000, have you participated in any form of gambling or game of chance or skill with monetary stakes, including but not limited to poker, dice, golf, sports betting, blackjack, and craps? If yes, please list the dates, participants, location/venue, and amounts won/lost,” adding, “Have you ever sought treatment for a gambling addiction?”

Kavanaugh answered all of the questions, providing a response that spanned 263 pages. For the majority of the senator’s questions, he provided a simple response of “no.” However, he decided to elaborate on a couple.