Jeff Flake's Boston Appearance Moved Due To 'Safety Issue'

BOSTON, MA — The panel that was set to feature Sen. Jeff Flake has been moved at the request of Emerson College, which cited safety concerns in hosting the Arizona Republican just days after he attempted to straddle the fence in the controversial Brett Kavanaugh hearings.

"This was not a speech issue," school president Lee Pelton told WBUR. "This was a safety issue."

Flake was scheduled to speak with Ohio Gov. John Kasich on the future of the Republican party Monday at the Colonial Theatre, which is owned by Emerson, as part of the Forbes Under-30 Summit. On Friday, shortly after Flake's vote, Pelton said the school was "seeking to exercise our right as the owners of the Colonial to have the panel canceled for safety reasons."

Forbes said Friday night the panel was in the process of being moved to Boston City Hall Plaza.

Flake's swing vote to advance the Supreme Court nomination of Kavanaugh out of the Senate Judiciary Committee came with the caveat that he would like an FBI investigation before voting in favor of Kavanaugh's confirmation. President Trump later said there will be an investigation.

Flake will join an eclectic group of speakers at Under-30 Summit that also features Boston Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving and founder of Her Campus Media Stephanie Kaplan Lewis, among others.

A headline and press release from Forbes mentioned Flake first among speakers.

Tn Under 30 Summit brings thousands "more than 7,000 of the world’s top young entrepreneurs, game changers, and visionaries from around the world, as well as more than 200 world-class speakers" to Boston, according to release from Forbes.

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