Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) praised her constituent for speaking publicly about her sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Christine Blasey…
Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) praised her constituent for speaking publicly about her sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
Christine Blasey Ford spoke to The Washington Post on Sunday and detailed her allegations against Kavanaugh for the first time publicly.
The now 51-year-old professor at Palo Alto University in California described an incident between her and Kavanaugh when the pair were in high school.
She alleges that Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed one summer in the 1980s and forced himself on her.
Eshoo, who represents Palo Alto, praised Ford’s decision to come forward on Sunday — months after the congresswoman allegedly received a letter detailing Ford’s claims.
“I’m proud of my constituent for the courage she has displayed to come forward to tell her full story to the American people,” Eshoo said in a statement. “In weighing her privacy and the consequences to herself and her family, she has demonstrated her willingness to risk these factors to present the truth.
“I am grateful to her for weighing these equities and choosing to speak out on one of the most consequential decisions in our country, an appointment to the highest Court in the land,” she continued.
Eshoo is rumored to have been given a letter by Ford detailing her account of the alleged assault.
Ford told the Post that Kavanaugh « groped her over her clothes, grinding his body against hers and clumsily attempting to pull off her one-piece bathing suit and the clothing she wore over it. »
She also said Kavanaugh put his hand over her mouth when she tried to scream for help.
“I thought he might inadvertently kill me,” Ford said. “He was trying to attack me and remove my clothing.”
The letter was then reportedly given to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) in July.
A spokesperson for Feinstein said Friday that the California senator said the woman who accused Kavanaugh « did not want this information to be public. »
Feinstein received the information « through a third party, » the spokesperson said.
« The senator took these allegations seriously and believed they should be public, » the statement read. « However, the woman in question made it clear she did not want this information to be public. It is critical in matters of sexual misconduct to protect the identity of the victim when they wish to remain anonymous, and the senator did so in this case. »
Feinstein praised Ford’s decision to share her story publicly on Sunday.
« From the outset, I have believed these allegations were extremely serious and bear heavily on Judge Kavanaugh’s character, » Feinstein said . « However, as we have seen over the past few days, they also come at a price for the victim. I hope the attacks and shaming of her will stop and this will be treated with the seriousness it deserves. »
« I support Mrs. Ford’s decision to share her story, and now that she has, it is in the hands of the FBI to conduct an investigation, » she continued. « This should happen before the Senate moves forward on this nominee. »
Kavanaugh denied the allegation « categorically and unequivocally » on Friday.
His denial came one day after Senate Democrats said they had referred the incident to the FBI, which confirmed that it received the letter on Thursday.
