„Sen Grassley must postpone vote…“
REUTERS/Chris Wattie/Allison Shelley
The accuser of Judge Brett Kavanaugh spoke out in an interview with the Washington Post, leaving many Democrats to call for an FBI investigation before a vote to approve the judge to the Supreme Court.
Christine Blasey Ford, a professor at Palo Alto University, privately disclosed her accusations to Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) in a letter. Last week, the senator released an announcement that she had been notified of the alleged assault, but revealed hardly any information.
Because there was so little information, many doubted the validity of the accusations and questioned the timing of Sen. Feinstein.
Ford decided to come forward, reveal her identity, and explain her accusations to the Washington Post .
She explained that the alleged attack took place in the early 1980s. Two boys, one of whom she alleges was Judge Kavanaugh, cornered her in a room, held her down, and groped her.
“I thought he might inadvertently kill me,” Ford told the Washington Post. “He was trying to attack me and remove my clothing.”
Ford claimed that she did not tell anyone about the attack until she discussed it with a therapist and her husband in 2012. She provided the Washington Post with the therapist’s notes from the session.
The notes do not include Judge Kavanaugh’s name; they only describe the alleged attackers as “from an elitist boys’ school” who became “highly respected and high-ranking members of society in Washington.”
In response to Ford’s interview, many prominent Democrats have released statements calling for an FBI Investigation of Judge Kavanaugh to take place before anyone votes to approve him.
. @SenFeinstein calls the allegations against Kavanaugh “extremely serious and bear heavily on Judge Kavanaugh’s character.“ She says FBI investigation “should happen before the Senate moves forward on this nominee.” pic.twitter.com/wZjJcXThI5
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) September 16,2018
Christine Blasey Ford courageously stepped forward to tell her story — it is a credible and serious allegation. The Senate has a constitutional responsibility to scrutinize SCOTUS nominees. A vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination must be delayed until there is a thorough investigation.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) September 16,2018
Shame on the Senate if they don’t take this seriously, especially before moving forward on a lifetime appointment.
— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) September 16,2018
Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) defended Judge Kavanaugh, explaining that the judge had been vetted multiple times and “no such allegation ever surfaced.” Despite his defense of Judge Kavanaugh, Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer called on Sen. Grassley to delay the vote.
Sen. Schumer: “Senator Grassley must postpone the vote until, at a very minimum, these serious and credible allegations are thoroughly investigated. For too long, when woman have made serious allegations of abuse, they have been ignored. That cannot happen in this case.“ pic.twitter.com/21NP5yS5fz
— NBC Politics (@NBCPolitics) September 16,2018
To railroad a vote now would be an insult to the women of America and the integrity of the Supreme Court.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) September 16,2018
Judge Kavanaugh has fully denied the accusations, prior to Ford’s interview with the Washington Post, saying, “I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation. I did not do this back in high school or at any time.”
Prior to Ford’s comments to the Washington Post, several of Kavanaugh’s female classmates came forward to defend him .
It is unclear what changes, if any, will be made on Judge Kavanaugh’s approval process. The vote to place the judge on the Supreme Court is scheduled for Thursday, September 20.
