Among the several allegations made by women against Roy Moore, one characteristic that seemed to give Beverly Nelson‘s extra credibility was the physical proof she offered: a high school yearbook signed by Moore himself while Nelson was a student, the same day he allegedly assaulted her. Comparisons to more recent Moore signatures show a striking similarity, yet the Moore camp is claiming that it’s a fake. CNN’s Wolf Blitzer addressed this issue with Nelson’s attorney, Gloria Allred, on Wednesday, but Allred didn’t appear to want to talk about it.
“Can you say flatly that was not a forgery?” Blitzer asked.
Allred did not directly address the question, only saying that questions about the signature would be welcome at a Senate hearing.
“That is not a flat denial,” Blitzer pressed.
“All I’m saying is, we’re not denying, we’re not admitting, we’re not addressing, we will not be distracted,” Allred countered.
Now, this could be taken two ways. On the one hand, Allred’s refusal to address the issue head on and confirm that the signature is real may cast doubt on the authenticity of the signature—and Nelson’s claim as a whole. Allred isn’t exactly shy, so her careful wording is hard to ignore. If her case does unravel, this could be the first step. Earlier in the conversation, Blitzer asked Allred about Moore being the judge in Nelson’s divorce proceedings. Allred wouldn’t answer questions about that either.
On the other hand, Allred’s main goal, as she’s stating it, is for a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the matter where Moore would be questioned under oath. This seemed far-fetched when she and Nelson had their initial press conference. Now that Moore’s campaign itself is raising questions, however, Allred seems to be refusing to provide the answers in order to lure the Senate candidate into just such a hearing. If Moore wants answers, she may be thinking, he’ll have to provide some of his own.
[Image via screengrab]
