Second Accuser Comes Out Against Kavanaugh As Ford Agrees To Testify This Week
Soon after Christine Blasey Ford agreed to testify in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on her allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, another woman came forward. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) is now asking for the hearing to be delayed so that the FBI can conduct an investigation.
The New York Times:
Christine Blasey Ford Reaches Deal To Testify At Kavanaugh Hearing
The woman who has accused Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were teenagers has committed to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, setting up a potentially explosive confrontation unlike any seen in decades with the future of the Supreme Court at stake. (Stolberg and Fandos, 9/23)
The New Yorker:
Senate Democrats Investigate A New Allegation Of Sexual Misconduct, From The Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s College Years, By His Yale Classmate Deborah Ramirez
As Senate Republicans press for a swift vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court, Senate Democrats are investigating a new allegation of sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh. The claim dates to the 1983-84 academic school year, when Kavanaugh was a freshman at Yale University. The offices of at least four Democratic senators have received information about the allegation, and at least two have begun investigating it. Senior Republican staffers also learned of the allegation last week and, in conversations with The New Yorker, expressed concern about its potential impact on Kavanaugh’s nomination. Soon after, Senate Republicans issued renewed calls to accelerate the timing of a committee vote. The Democratic Senate offices reviewing the allegations believe that they merit further investigation. “This is another serious, credible, and disturbing allegation against Brett Kavanaugh. It should be fully investigated,” Senator Mazie Hirono, of Hawaii, said. An aide in one of the other Senate offices added, “These allegations seem credible, and we’re taking them very seriously. If established, they’re clearly disqualifying.” (Farrow and Mayer, 9/23)
The Wall Street Journal:
Kavanaugh Hearing Set As Accuser Commits To Testifying
On Sunday evening, Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the committee’s top Democrat, asked for an immediate postponement of the hearing after new allegations surfaced in an article in the New Yorker. Deborah Ramirez, a college classmate of Judge Kavanaugh, told the magazine that she remembered that Judge Kavanaugh had exposed himself to her at a drunken party when they were at Yale University. Judge Kavanaugh said in a statement Sunday that the alleged incident didn’t happen, and the White House said it stood by the nominee. Judge Kavanaugh said, “This is a smear, plain and simple.” (Peterson, Bykowicz and Nicholas, 9/24)
The Washington Post:
Senate Judiciary Panel’s Top Democrat Calls For Delay In Kavanaugh Hearing After New Allegation
In her letter, Feinstein asked “that the newest allegations of sexual misconduct be referred to the FBI for investigation, and that you join our request for the White House to direct the FBI to investigate the allegations of Christine Blasey Ford as well as these new claims.” (Demirjian, Gardner and Kim, 9/23)