“Is your client willing to testify before the Judiciary Committee publicly and tell this story?” –@savannahguthrie
“She is. She’s willing to do whatever it takes to get her story forth.” -Debra Katz, attorney for Kavanaugh accuser pic.twitter.com/V3BRF43nGK
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) September 17, 2018
Christine Blasey Ford, the professor who accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of trying to sexually assault in her when they were in high school, is willing to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee, according to her attorney. When NBC’s Savannah Guthrie asked if Ford was ready to make such a move, her attorney Debra Katz answered with a resounding, “She is. She’s willing to do whatever it takes to get her story forth.”
This comes the days after Ford revealed her identity in a Washington Post report, describing how at a party in the 1908s Kavanaugh allegedly trapped her in a room, forced her onto a bed, groped her, and tried to remove her clothing, while another teen allegedly watched. Both males were allegedly drunk at the time.
“I thought he might inadvertently kill me,” Ford said. “He was trying to attack me and remove my clothing.”
Katz said that Ford considers this to be an attempted rape. Katz said that her client has taken a lie detector test and is a “credible” witness. While Ford is a Democrat, Katz said the allegations are not politically motivated.
“No one in their right mind regardless of their motive would want to inject themselves into this process and face the kind of annihilation that she will be subjected to by those who want this nominee to go through,” Katz said. “This in not a politically motivated action, in fact she was quite reluctant to come forward.”
Sparse details of the allegations first came out last week, when it was reported that a letter describing the allegations was sent to a California member of Congress, who passed it along to Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-California). The letter was then referred to the FBI, who had conducted a background check on Kavanaugh. The FBI opted not to open an investigation, but included the letter in the nominee’s file.
The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on Kavanaugh this Thursday. If they approve him, the entire Senate would then vote on his confirmation. Meanwhile, Senators Jeff Flake (R-Arizona) and Bob Corker (R-Tennessee) have said they would like to delay the vote until they can hear from Ford and Kavanaugh. The two Republicans are crucial for Kavanaugh’s approval, given Democrats’ opposition.
[Image via NBC screengrab]
