U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, the woman accusing the jurist of sexual assault, will testify Thursday morning before the Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington, D.C.
Brett Kavanaugh’s Defense Against Sexual Assault Claims Stirs Heated Debate
Roughly two weeks ago, Ford, now 51 years old, claimed Kavanaugh pinned her down on a bed and attempted to molest her during a party she said they both attended during the summer of 1982. The federal judge, for his part, has denied the claims and said he has no recollection of any such party or incident.
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In his opening statement, Kavanaugh is expected to “unequivocally deny” the claims leveled against him by Ford.
Read Brett Kavanaugh’s Opening Statement Ahead of Hearing on Sexual Assault Allegations
“I am not questioning that Dr. Ford may have been sexually assaulted by some person in some place at some time,” he is expected to say. “But I have never done that to her or to anyone. I am innocent of this charge.”
Ford, who is now a psychology professor at Palo Alto University in California, is expected to express in her opening statement her fear in speaking out about her allegations against President Donald Trump’s nominee for the high court.
“I am here today not because I want to be. I am terrified,” her statement begins. “I am here because I believe it is my civic duty to tell you what happened to me while Brett Kavanaugh and I were in high school.”
Her accusations against Kavanaugh were first given to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, on Sept. 13. Ford sent Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the committee’s ranking Democratic member, a similar memo on July 30, though at the time she wished to remain anonymous.