Only the White House can order the FBI to investigate Kavanaugh allegations

How the process works: Current and former Justice Department and FBI officials told NBC News that the agency cannot investigate whether or not Ford’s claims are true — unless the White House requests it.

• The agency performs background checks for federal nominees, the AP explains citing a Justice Department official, but "does not make judgments on the credibility or significance of allegations."
• When the FBI conducts a background investigation prior to an official’s confirmation, agents can only gather information from interviews and pass it along. Officials said this has been a longstanding practice.
• If Ford's allegations are true, there's no suggestion of a federal crime, per NBC. Therefore, the FBI cannot independently decide to open a criminal probe. Senate Democrats, however, are pushing the agency to reopen the background investigation in to Kavanaugh, per the AP.
• Kavanaugh denies the allegations, which appear to be misdemeanors, and are beyond the statute of limitations under Maryland law.

Greg Rinckey, a lawyer specializing in employment law and the security clearance process, told the AP that the FBI does not use background checks to look into decades-old claims that never resulted in criminal charges or filed in a police report.

"The FBI is looking for any kind of current problem. What do I mean by current — 7 to 10 years."