The woman who has accused Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh of sexual assault has told the Senate Judiciary Committee, in an apparent bid to jump-start negotiations, that she “would be prepared to testify next week,” so long as senators offer “terms that are fair and which ensure her safety,” according to an email her lawyers sent to committee staff members.
In the email, obtained by The New York Times, the lawyer for Christine Blasey Ford said that testifying Monday — the timetable Republicans have set for a hearing — “is not possible and the Committee’s insistence that it occur then is arbitrary in any event.” The lawyer reiterated that it is Dr. Blasey’s “strong preference” that “a full investigation” occur before her testimony — wording that stopped short of demanding an F.B.I. probe and suggested she is open to testifying without one.
Dr. Blasey has accused Judge Kavanaugh, President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, of sexually assaulting her when the two were in high school at a gathering of teenagers in Montgomery County, Md. Judge Kavanaugh has categorically denied the allegation and has said he would be willing to testify.
A crack in the stalemate puts the ball in the GOP’s court.
BREAKING — @SenWhitehouse, D-RI, says “as soon as Democrats get gavels“ (retake the House or Senate) they will “get to the bottom” of what happened between Kavanaugh and Ford and “why the FBI stood down” in background investigation of Kavanaugh given new allegation
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) September 20, 2018
By the way, more than a few people have noticed…. Trump is handling this rather well. No crazy tweets. No misogyny. Pretty weird. Then again, it is quite possible that he doesn’t realize what is at stake, or doesn’t care.
