Chuck Grassley (R-IA), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced on Friday that the committee vote on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh would go forward on Monday if a testimony deal cannot be reached with Dr. Christine Blasey Ford.
Dr. Ford accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her in an attempted rape while they were on high school. Grassley stated that the vote would go ahead with the nomination process if a deal isn’t struck with Ford before 10 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday. “I’m providing a notice of vote to occur Monday in the event that Dr. Ford’s attorneys don’t respond or Dr. Ford decides not to testify,” Grassley said.
“We cannot continue to delay.”
“Despite the fact that the July 30th letter remains hidden, my committee has been investigating the allegations and has heard from multiple witnesses since Sunday,” Grassley added.
Ford is represented by attorney Debra Katz. “Ms. Katz has discussed Dr. Ford’s allegations in numerous media interviews and said on TV Monday morning that Dr. Ford wants to share her account with the Senate Judiciary Committee,” Grassley said. “It’s Friday night and nothing’s been agreed to despite our extensive efforts to make testimony possible.”
Kavanaugh’s confirmation vote was scheduled for Thursday but after Dr. Ford’s allegations against him came to light it was delayed. She accused Kavanaugh of shoving her into a bedroom during a high school party, pinning her down, covering her mouth and attempting to remove her clothes. Kavanaugh’s friend, Mark Judge, allegedly helped in the attempted rape and turned the volume of the music playing up so that she could not be heard.
Trump nominated Kavanaugh on July 9 after Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement. Dr. Ford came forward with her allegations against Kavanaugh by the end of the month.
Kavanaugh is President Donald Trump’s second nominee to the Supreme Court after he successfully appointed Neil Gorsuch to replace the late Antonin Scalia, who died during the tail end of the Obama administration.
