Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh said it was like a “gut punch” when he learned about the numerous sexual misconduct allegations levied against Judge Alex Kozinski, one of his former mentors, by numerous women. 
 
 Kavanaugh, who was asked about his relationship to Kozinski by Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch during his Supreme Court confirmation hearing Wednesday, said he was “shocked, disappointed [and] angry” by the allegations and felt a “swirl of emotions.” He said he was not aware of the alleged behavior until the accusations were made public. 
 
 Kozinski abruptly retired from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in California last year after several female former law clerks and colleagues accused him of sexual misconduct that included touching, inappropriate sexual comments and forced viewings of pornography in his chambers. The case has prompted federal courts to examine how to better protect law clerks from harassment by powerful judges who can make or break their careers. 
 
 “When [the allegations] became public, the first thought I had was no one should be subjected to sexual harassment in the workplace ever – including in the judiciary, especially in the judiciary,” Kavanaugh said. 
 
 KAVANAUGH CONFIRMATION HEARING LIKELY TO FOCUS ON ABORTION, GUN RIGHTS AND MORE 
 
 But Kavanaugh said the allegations against Kozinski – who has denied the accusations through his attorney – are part of a broader national issue and said there should be a better system for reporting harassment in the workplace. 
 
 “Whether it’s priests or coaches or teachers or doctors or businesspeople or news people, there’s a broad national problem that needs to be addressed, including in the judiciary,” Kavanaugh said, adding that he supports Chief Justice John Roberts' establishment of a working group to tackle issues with sexual harassment in the judiciary. 
 
 “I’m interested in doing everything I can to assist those efforts to make those workplaces safe,” Kavanaugh added. 
 
 Kavanaugh’s ties to Kozinski were expected to be brought up during the hearing. Kozinski advocated on behalf of Kavanaugh in 2006 when he was brought before the Senate Judiciary Committee ahead of being appointed a federal judge. 
 
 Kavanaugh is a former clerk of Kozinski's and landed a coveted clerkship for Justice Anthony Kennedy at the Supreme Court – who he is now trying to replace – with backing from Kozinski. The Senate confirmed Kavanaugh to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit shortly after Kozinski gave him his "highest recommendation" in 2006, three years after George W. Bush first nominated him to a judgeship. 
 
 There are other links between the two men. Kavanaugh and Kozinski have together in recent years screened applicants for Kennedy clerkships. Kavanaugh hired Kozinski's youngest son, Yale law graduate Clayton Kozinski, last year as one of his clerks. The younger Kozinski had been in line to be a Kennedy clerk this year before the justice's announced retirement. 
 
 KAVANAUGH SUPREME COURT HEARING KICKS OFF WITH NUMEROUS ARRESTS AS PROTESTERS SHOUT DOWN LAWMAKERS 
 
 So far, no evidence has surfaced to suggest Kavanaugh was aware of Kozinski’s alleged behavior before the accusations were made public. Kavanaugh told lawmakers Wednesday it was “not often” that he spoke to or saw Kozinski and said he could not recall ever receiving emails from Kozinski that were inappropriate in nature. 
 
 Prior to the confirmation hearing, Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, said, “Alex Kozinski’s relationship with Judge Kavanaugh is a legitimate area of inquiry, and I plan to question Judge Kavanaugh on this topic.” 
 
 This is the second day of Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing and the first when members of the Senate Judiciary Committee are able to ask the judge questions. The contentious hearing has been marked with numerous protests – from those in the audience and from Democratic senators who spent much of the first day calling for a delay in the hearing. 
 
 The Associated Press contributed to this report. ||||| Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, from left, Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Sen. Amy Klobuchar,... (Associated Press) 
 
 Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, from left, Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., pause during questioning of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh about his time in the... (Associated Press) 
 
 WASHINGTON (AP) — Judge Brett Kavanaugh is treading carefully during his confirmation hearing as senators bombard him with questions about abortion, presidential power and the independence of the judiciary. 
 
 Some highlights from the Supreme Court nominee' confirmation hearing Wednesday: 
 
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 ROE v. WADE 
 
 Democrats and liberal interest groups have treated Kavanaugh's nomination as a moment of extreme danger for abortion rights. Abortion opponents hope he'll be a vote to uphold additional restrictions on the procedure and even possibly overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that established a constitutional right to an abortion. 
 
 Kavanaugh didn't show his hand either way on Wednesday. 
 
 He did call Roe v. Wade an "important precedent" that has "been reaffirmed many times over the past 45 years." And he noted that a 1992 decision of the court — Planned Parenthood v. Casey — didn't just reaffirm Roe v. Wade in passing. He said that decision becomes "precedent on precedent." 
 
 Supreme Court justices are generally reluctant to overturn precedent, but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Last term, the court squarely overturned three precedents. One of those cases was from 1967 and had been reaffirmed in 1992. 
 
 Also in responding to questions about the Roe v. Wade decision Kavanaugh said that he understands "how passionate and how deeply people feel about this issue" of abortion. He also said he understands the "real world effects of that decision." 
 
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 PRESIDENTIAL POWER 
 
 Kavanaugh declined to answer a series of questions about the powers of the president, questions important to Democrats particularly because of ongoing investigations surrounding President Donald Trump. 
 
 Nominees generally decline to answer questions they deem could potentially come before the court. They say they decide issues only after hearing both sides of a case. 
 
 Among the questions Kavanaugh said were too hypothetical to answer: Does the president have an absolute right to pardon himself? Can the president pardon someone in exchange for a promise not to testify against him? Can the president be required to respond to a subpoena? 
 
 That last question is among the most important at Kavanaugh's hearing since Trump could face a subpoena in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. Trump has declined to rule out pardons for people convicted as part of that investigation. 
 
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 ALEX KOZINSKI 
 
 Repercussions of the "Me Too" era made an appearance at Kavanaugh's hearing. The judge was asked what he knew about sexual misconduct allegations against a judge who was a friend and mentor, former federal appeals court judge Alex Kozinski. Kozinski retired in December after several female former law clerks and colleagues accused him of sexual misconduct. 
 
 Kavanaugh said that when the allegations became public, they were a "gut punch" for him and for the federal judiciary. Asked whether he knew anything about the allegations before they became public, Kavanaugh responded: "nothing." He said he was "shocked and disappointed." 
 
 Asked whether he was on an email list that Kozinski used to send offensive material, Kavanaugh responded: "I don't remember anything like that." 
 
 Kavanaugh clerked for Kozinski, and Kozinski introduced him during his 2006 confirmation hearing to be a judge. The two also worked together to screen applicants who wanted to clerk for Justice Anthony Kennedy, whom Kavanaugh clerked for and whom he would replace. ||||| WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a hearing Thursday for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, a woman who says he sexually assaulted her as a teenager, as a claim of sexual misconduct emerged from another woman. 
 
 The New Yorker magazine reported Sunday night that Senate Democrats were investigating a second woman's accusation of sexual misconduct by Kavanaugh dating to the 1983-84 academic year, Kavanaugh's first at Yale University. 
 
 The New Yorker said 53-year-old Deborah Ramirez described the incident in an interview after being contacted by the magazine. Ramirez recalled that Kavanaugh exposed himself at a drunken dormitory party, thrust his penis in her face, and caused her to touch it without her consent as she pushed him away, the magazine reported. 
 
 In a statement provided by the White House, Kavanaugh said the event "did not happen" and that the allegation was "a smear, plain and simple." A White House spokeswoman added in a second statement that the allegation was "designed to tear down a good man." 
 
 The new information came hours after the Senate committee agreed to a date and time for a hearing after nearly a week of uncertainty over whether Ford would appear to tell her story. 
 
 The agreement and the latest accusation set the stage for a dramatic showdown as Kavanaugh and Ford each tell their side of the story. The developments could also determine the fate of Kavanaugh's confirmation, which hangs on the votes of a handful of senators. 
 
 It had seemed assured before Ford, a 51-year-old California college professor, went public a week ago with her allegation that Kavanaugh assaulted her at a party when they were in high school. 
 
 Kavanaugh, 53, an appellate court judge, has denied Ford's allegation and said he wanted to testify as soon as possible to clear his name. 
 
 Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, wrangled with Ford's lawyers for the last week over the exact terms of her appearance. She made several requests, some of which were accommodated — a Thursday hearing, three days later than originally scheduled, and a smaller hearing room with less press access to avoid a media circus, for example. Grassley's staff also agreed to let Ford testify without Kavanaugh in the room, for there to be only one camera in the room, "adequate" breaks and a high security presence. 
 
 The committee said it would not negotiate on other points, though, including Ford's desire for additional witnesses and a request to testify after, not before, Kavanaugh. 
 
 "As with any witness who comes before the Senate, the Senate Judiciary Committee cannot hand over its constitutional duties to attorneys for outside witnesses," Mike Davis, Grassley's top nominations counsel, wrote in an email exchange with Ford's lawyers obtained by The Associated Press. "The committee determines which witnesses to call, how many witnesses to call, in what order to call them, and who will question them. These are non-negotiable." 
 
 Ford's lawyers said it was still unclear who will ask questions, as Republicans were trying to hire an outside female counsel who could take over the questioning. The 11 senators on the GOP side of the dais are all men, which could send an unwanted message on live television against the backdrop of the #MeToo era. They could also use Republican staff attorneys on the committee. 
 
 Democratic senators were expected to ask their own questions. 
 
 "We were told no decision has been made on this important issue, even though various senators have been dismissive of her account and should have to shoulder their responsibility to ask her questions," the attorneys for Ford said in a statement. 
 
 As he builds a case for his innocence, Kavanaugh plans to turn over to the committee calendars from the summer of 1982 that don't show a party consistent with Ford's description of the gathering in which she says he attacked her, The New York Times reported Sunday. The newspaper reported that it had examined the calendars and noted they list basketball games, movie outings, football workouts, college interviews, and a few parties with names of friends other than those identified by Ford. 
 
 A person working on Kavanaugh's confirmation confirmed the Times account to The Associated Press. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter. 
 
 Earlier Sunday, Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said lawyers for Ford were contesting two GOP conditions — that Ford and Kavanaugh would be the only witnesses and that an independent counsel would ask the questions. 
 
 "If they continue to contest those two things, there won't be a hearing," Graham said. "We're not going to let her determine how many people we call" and on outside counsel. "I hope she comes." 
 
 Graham, speaking on "Fox News Sunday," promised a fair hearing in which both Ford and Kavanaugh "will be challenged" but said "unless there's something more" to back up her accusation, he indicated he will vote to confirm Kavanaugh. Graham said he's "not going to ruin Judge Kavanaugh's life over this." 
 
 One issue that appeared to have been resolved in Sunday's hourlong phone call between Judiciary staff and Ford's lawyers was the committee's refusal to subpoena Mark Judge, the other person Ford alleges was in the room when the assault occurred. Judge has told the committee he does not recall the incident. 
 
 The lawyers for Ford want the committee to hear from other witnesses, including a person who conducted a polygraph of Ford earlier this year, the person familiar with the talks said. Ford's lawyers also want to call on two trauma experts, the person said. 
 
 Sen. Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat on the committee, said Sunday he believed Ford's requests have been reasonable and that she deserves a fair hearing to determine whether her allegations are serious enough to vote down Kavanaugh's nomination. 
 
 Durbin acknowledged that lawmakers will "probably not" be able to know the truth of Ford's decades-old accusation. But Durbin left little doubt that that Democrats will go after Kavanaugh's drinking history to help shed light on the matter. Ford has alleged Kavanaugh was "stumbling drunk" when it happened. 
 
 Durbin told ABC's "This Week" that some Republicans "reached out to Democratic senators and assured them that they are looking to this as kind of a determination as to how their final vote" on Kavanaugh is cast. 
 
 Democrats again called for the FBI to investigate Ford's claims, a request that was unlikely to be met as President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans have said it's unnecessary. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York and the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, sent a letter to Trump on Sunday saying the FBI has more than enough time to investigate before Ford and Kavanaugh testify on Thursday. 
 
 Republicans viewed the demands for an investigation, and Ford's various requests, as a way to delay voting on Trump's nominee. They have also cast some doubt on Ford's allegations, with the Judiciary panel announcing that it had investigated the incident and talked to three other people who Ford has told The Washington Post were at the party — Judge, Patrick J. Smyth and Leland Ingham Keyser. The committee said all three told investigators that they had no recollection of the evening in question. 
 
 The Post reported Sunday that Keyser said in a brief interview at her home that she still believes Ford, even if she doesn't remember the party. 
 
 The White House is approaching Ford's potential testimony with trepidation, nervous that an emotional performance might not just damage Kavanaugh's chances but could further energize female voters to turn out against Republicans in November. 
 
 Moreover, the West Wing aides who had urged Trump to remain muted in his response to the accusations worried about how the president might react to an hourslong, televised hearing. Trump broke his silence to cast doubt on Ford's story Friday in ways Republicans had been carefully trying to avoid. He said Kavanaugh was "under assault by radical left wing politicians" and suggested Ford should have filed charges as a 15-year-old when she was attacked. 
 
 Trump mused to confidants that the "fake" attacks against his nominee were meant to undermine his presidency, according to a White House official and a Republican close to the White House. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss private conversations. 
 
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 Associated Press writers Eric Tucker and Hope Yen in Washington and Jonathan Lemire in Bridgewater, New Jersey, contributed to this report. ||||| Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., left, questions President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, in the evening of the second day of his Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing,... (Associated Press) 
 
 Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., left, questions President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, in the evening of the second day of his Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing, Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018, on Capitol Hill in Washington, to replace retired Justice Anthony Kennedy.... (Associated Press) 
 
 WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation tumbled into highly charged arguing Thursday over whether key documents were being withheld, and one Democrat risked Senate discipline by releasing confidential material. A newly disclosed email revealed that President Donald Trump's pick once suggested Roe v. Wade was not settled law 
 
 The finger-pointing over the unusual vetting process for Trump's nominee made for a rough start for the final day of questioning of Kavanaugh who has so far avoided major missteps that could block his confirmation. Republican John Cornyn of Texas said senators could be expelled from office for violating confidentially rules, while Democrats led by Cory Booker of New Jersey, responded, "Bring it on." 
 
 Meanwhile it was shown, in an email obtained by The Associated Press, that Kavanaugh had taken a different tone on a 2003 abortion case than he had during Wednesday's hearing when he stressed how difficult it is to overturn precedents like Roe. In the email, Kavanaugh was reviewing a potential op-ed article in support of two judicial nominees while he was working at the George W. Bush White House, according to the document. It had been held by the committee as confidential. 
 
 "I am not sure that all legal scholars refer to Roe as the settled law of the land at the Supreme Court level since Court can always overrule its precedent, and three current Justices on the Court would do so," Kavanaugh wrote, referring to justices at the time, in an email to a Republican Senate aide. The document is partially redacted. 
 
 Asked about it by the committee's top Democrat, Dianne Feinstein of California, Kavanaugh reiterated his previous testimony that "Roe v. Wade is an important precedent of the Supreme Court." 
 
 The 15-year-old email underscored a dispute that has dominated part of the hearing over Kavanaugh's unusually long paper trail stemming from his years in the Bush White House. The panel's process resulted in hundreds of thousands of pages of Kavanaugh's documents being withheld as confidential or kept from release under presidential privilege by the Trump White House. 
 
 Booker called the process "a bit of a sham." He was chastised by GOP colleagues for having discussed a confidential document about Kavanaugh's legal views on race. Cornyn said it was "irresponsible and conduct unbecoming a senator." 
 
 Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said more documents would be released Thursday and stood by his handling of Kavanaugh's paper trail. 
 
 "My process was fair," Grassley said as he opened the session. 
 
 So far, Kavanaugh appears on track toward confirmation in the Republican-held Senate, but after a marathon 12-hour session Wednesday, he also does not seem to have changed minds on the committee, which is split along partisan lines. 
 
 The judge left unanswered questions over how he would handle investigations of the executive branch and whether he would recuse himself if cases involving Trump under special counsel Robert Mueller's probe end up at the court. 
 
 Trump says he's pleased with his nominee's performance, and Republicans are united behind him, eager to add a conservative judge to the court. 
 
 Late in the evening, Kavanaugh seemed to stumble at first when questioned by Democrat Kamala Harris of California about whom he might have spoken with at a law firm concerning the investigation into Russian election meddling. The firm in question was founded by Marc Kasowitz, who has represented Trump. 
 
 Kavanaugh eventually said he couldn't think of any such conversations but would need to see a list of the firm's lawyers. 
 
 Protesters have repeatedly tried to interrupt the hearing, which has carried strong political overtones ahead of the November congressional elections. Democrats lack the votes to block confirmation but have been pressing Kavanaugh for his views on abortion rights, gun control and other issues. 
 
 On Wednesday the judge insisted he fully embraced the importance of judicial independence. But he refused to provide direct answers to Democrats who wanted him to say whether there are limits on a president's power to issue pardons, including to himself or in exchange for a bribe. He also would not say whether he believes the president can be subpoenaed to testify. Still, he began his long day in the witness chair by declaring that "no one is above the law." 
 
 Democrats are concerned that Kavanaugh will push the court to the right and that he will side with Trump in cases stemming from Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible ties to the Trump campaign. The 53-year-old appellate judge answered cautiously when asked about most of those matters, refusing an invitation from Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut to pledge to step aside from any Supreme Court cases dealing with Trump and Mueller's investigation. 
 
 Under questioning by Republicans, Kavanaugh stressed the importance of judicial independence, "not being swayed by political or public pressure." 
 
 On abortion, Kavanaugh noted that Roe has been affirmed "many times." He defended his dissenting opinion last year in the case of a pregnant immigrant teen in federal custody. Kavanaugh would have denied her immediate access to an abortion, even after she received permission from a Texas judge. 
 
 Kavanaugh told Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, he had been unaware of the domestic violence allegations against Rob Porter, who was Trump's staff secretary, until they were publicly disclosed. Journalist Bob Woodward's new book about Trump says Kavanaugh recommended Porter for the job. 
 
 Kavanaugh had served as staff secretary to George W. Bush, and his work in the White House has figured in the hearing. Democratic senators have fought for access to documents from his three years as staff secretary, saying those could shed light on his views about policies from that era, including the detention and interrogation of terror suspects. Republicans have declined to seek the papers, and instead have gathered documents from his work as White House counsel to Bush. 
 
 When questioned about the honesty of his 2006 testimony during his nomination for the appellate court when he said he was not involved in some Bush-era policies, Kavanaugh said he was "100 percent accurate." 
 
 Republicans hope to confirm Kavanaugh in time for the first day of the new Supreme Court term, Oct. 1. 
 
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 Associated Press writer Jessica Gresko contributed to this report. 
 
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 Read more on AP's coverage of Kavanaugh at https://apnews.com/tag/Kavanaughnomination
– After the "chaotic" first day of Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination hearing, Wednesday saw the 53-year-old appellate judge bombarded with questions from senators. The AP describes him as "treading carefully," and highlights some of the biggest issues raised during the second day of the hearing. Kavanaugh "didn't show his hand" when questioned about abortion rights, for example, though he did call Roe v. Wade "important precedent" that has "been reaffirmed many times over the past 45 years." (The AP also notes that Sen. Dianne Feinstein "vastly overstated" the number of deaths from illegal abortions in the decades before Roe v. Wade; it has a fact-check here.) More from the hearing, which is expected to extend into the late evening hours of Wednesday: Kavanaugh said it was like a "gut punch" to learn that multiple women had accused one of his mentors, Judge Alex Kozinski, of sexual misconduct, and that it highlights the broader need for a better system of reporting workplace harassment; he said he was not aware of the allegations until they were made public. Fox News has more.