What a Probe of Brett Kavanaugh's Finances Reveals About the Supreme Court Nominee

WASHINGTON – As senators begin the process of vetting Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, public disclosure forms show he's not nearly as wealthy as many of the justices on the high court.

Kavanaugh has bank account worth $65,000. Add that to a retirement account worth about $500,000, plus the equity in his home, and he has about a million dollars in wealth.

The forms show in 2016 he accrued a credit card bill between $45,000 and $150,000 that was spent on home improvements and Washington Nationals season tickets for himself and some friends.

Kavanaugh, known to be a baseball fan, was paid back by his friends and retired the debt in 2017.

"At this time, the Kavanaughs have no debts beyond their home mortgage," White House spokesman Raj Shah said.

The annual salary for a circuit court judge, Kavanaugh's current job, is about $220,000.

"He's devoted his life to public service," Shah continued.

The financial disclosures are just one of the pieces of information senators are reviewing alongside his 300 or so judicial rulings.

Meanwhile, Kavanaugh continues working to win over senators on Capitol Hill ahead of his confirmation hearing.

In an encouraging sign for the Trump administration Wednesday, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) signaled she's not opposed to Kavanaugh.

Some conservatives feared the pro-abortion, moderate Republican would vote against President Donald Trump's nominee to protect Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark ruling that legalized abortion.

However, Kavanaugh appears to have passed her litmus test on the issue.

"Any judge who demonstrated hostility to Roe would not be a person that I could vote for. I've not seen that with Judge Kavanaugh," Sen. Collins said.

She says she's looking forward to discussing Roe and other cases when they meet in her office one on one.