Three former Brett Kavanaugh clerks, who previously backed their former boss' nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, told Senate Judiciary committee lawmakers Monday they're “deeply troubled” by the accusations against Kavanaugh.

In a letter to committee chairman Chuck Grassley and ranking chair Dianne Feinstein, they also indicated they welcome the FBI's inquiry into sexual misconduct allegations leveled against Kavanaugh, and said they hope the investigation will be independent and thorough.

The lawyers—Will Dreher, Bridget Fahey and Rakim Brooks—said they wrote to “clarify” their views after members of the judiciary panel promoted their earlier comments over the weekend. The Monday letter, seen by The National Law Journal and first reported by the Huffington Post, qualifies their earlier remarks.