President Donald Trump has apologised to his new Supreme Court justice Brett Kavanaugh for what he described as a “campaign of lies” during the confirmation hearings.
He was referring to the acrimonious debate over Mr. Kavanaugh’s nomination, after sexual assault allegations were made against him.
Mr. Kavanaugh said he was not bitter despite the “contentious” confirmation.
He has denied the claims made by several women.
The judge was confirmed by the Senate on Saturday, in a 50-48 vote that largely followed party lines.
It is seen as a major victory for President Trump, tilting the balance in the nation’s highest court in favour of conservatives for years to come.
As the White House ceremony got under way on Monday, Mr. Trump said: “On behalf of our nation, I want to apologise to Brett and the entire Kavanaugh family for the terrible pain and suffering you have been forced to endure.”
And he decried a “campaign of political and personal destruction based on lies and deception”, adding that “under historic scrutiny”, he had been “proven innocent”.
Last week, the FBI completed a report on sexual misconduct allegations against Mr. Kavanaugh – but the findings have not been released to the public.
