Wikipedia entry for Howard Metzenbaum
Clarence Thomas confirmation
On July 1, 1991, Clarence Thomas was nominated to serve as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, to replace Thurgood Marshall. After routine hearings in September, Thomas appeared to be well on his way to confirmation.
When the contents of an FBI file were leaked to NPR reporter Nina Totenberg, there was a flurry of reporting on the allegations. A second round of hearing provided no proof of the allegations, and featured numerous character witnesses on Thomas's behalf. While the controversy did not prevent Thomas from being confirmed by a 61-39 vote, it hung over the Senate.
A Senate Ethics Committee investigation later found that a staffer from Metzenbaum's office later leaked the file. Metzenbaum was censured by the Senate for his failure to secure the file. The staffer ended up serving a two-year federal prison sentence.
Clarence Thomas confirmation
On July 1, 1991, Clarence Thomas was nominated to serve as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, to replace Thurgood Marshall. After routine hearings in September, Thomas appeared to be well on his way to confirmation.
When the contents of an FBI file were leaked to NPR reporter Nina Totenberg, there was a flurry of reporting on the allegations. A second round of hearing provided no proof of the allegations, and featured numerous character witnesses on Thomas's behalf. While the controversy did not prevent Thomas from being confirmed by a 61-39 vote, it hung over the Senate.
A Senate Ethics Committee investigation later found that a staffer from Metzenbaum's office later leaked the file. Metzenbaum was censured by the Senate for his failure to secure the file. The staffer ended up serving a two-year federal prison sentence.