‘We absolutely need an FBI investigation and for him and all Senators to vote NO,’ Maria Gallagher tweeted.
Maria Gallagher, who on Friday confronted Sen. Jeff Flake with her story of sexual assault, said she was “relieved” when the Arizona Republican called for an FBI investigation into allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
Gallagher, a resident of New York, stood next to Ana Maria Archila, co-executive director of the Center for Popular Democracy, earlier Friday as the two held open the doors of an elevator Flake was taking on his way to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Soon after, Flake said he would vote to advance Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Senate floor, but he said he wanted a vote in the full body delayed for one week while the FBI investigated the allegations.
“I feel relieved that @JeffFlake seems to have heard my and @AnaMariaArchil2’s voices in the Senate elevator today,” Gallagher tweeted . “We absolutely need an FBI investigation and for him and all Senators to vote NO. #StopKavanaugh”
Kavanaugh has been accused publicly of sexual assault by three women from his time at Georgetown Preparatory School and Yale University — allegations he has denied, including during a 9-hour Thursday hearing with one of his accusers, Christine Blasey Ford.
Video of Gallagher and Archila talking about their experiences with assault, while a somber Flake looked away, garnered millions of views Friday.
“I was sexually assaulted and nobody believed me. I didn’t tell anyone, and you’re telling all women that they don’t matter, that they should just stay quiet because if they tell you what happened to them, you are going to ignore them,” a tearful Gallagher told Flake. “Look at me and tell me that it doesn’t matter what happened to me, that you will let people like that go into the highest court of the land and tell everyone what they can do to their bodies.”
“The way that justice works is you recognize hurt, you take responsibility for it and then you begin to repair it,” Archila said.
“I need to go to the hearing,” Flake responded.
Flake’s last-minute decision to call for an investigation was a change in course after the Arizona senator released a statement earlier in the morning saying he would support Kavanaugh’s nomination.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), whose vote has also been in question, announced her support for an FBI probe and one-week delay, adding pressure on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to postpone a floor vote.
Speaking at the White House on Friday, President Donald Trump said he would follow the lead of Senate Republicans: “I will be totally reliant on what [Judiciary Chairman] Grassley and the group decides to do.”
