As the professor who accused the US Supreme Court nominee of sexual abuse is set to testify on her claims, Senate Democrats are investigating yet another “credible allegation” about Brett Kavanaugh’s misconduct while in college.
The new allegation has been made by Deborah Ramirez, who claimed that Kavanaugh exposed his genitals in her face during the 1983-84 academic school year at Yale University. During the incident at the “drunken dormitory party,” which happened during their freshman year, the future judge also allegedly forced her to touch his penis without her consent, the New Yorker revealed.
The publication reports the 53-year-old woman debated for nearly a week on whether to make her ordeal public, before she recollected the details of the incident, which happened while she was “inebriated” 35 years ago. While acknowledging “significant gaps in her memories” of the evening, Ramirez, just like Ford, is now calling for the FBI to investigate the incident.
According to the publication, the allegations are now being investigated by at least two Democrats in the Senate. Another two Democrats are aware of the issue. In addition, the New Yorker claims, some Republicans in the Senate were also informed about the new accusations. Several senior Republican staffers also reportedly expressed concern about the potential fallout from the new allegation.
Kavanaugh, who faces similar claims from California professor Christine Blasey Ford, vehemently denies the accusations. “The people who knew me then know that this did not happen, and have said so,” the judge said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the White House Spokesperson Kerri Kupec noted that the decades-old allegations brought up against the judge were timed and “designed to tear down a good man.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee initially wanted to hold the confirmation vote last week, but postponed it indefinitely, after media reports emerged of Kavanaugh’s sexual misconduct back in 1982. The lawmakers wanted professor Ford to testify on her claims against the judge before the committee cast their ballots.
After a week of tussling back and forth, Ford finally agreed to testify before a Senate panel. Both Ford and Kavanaugh are scheduled to face the lawmakers on Thursday to discuss the incident, which allegedly happened back in high school. Kavanaugh previously called the allegations against him “completely false,” stressing that he is willing to clear his name in front of US lawmakers.
While the Democrats say Ramirez’s claim has enough merit to probe the matter further, especially in the wake of Ford’s allegations, the GOP widely views the suddenly emerging claims as a way to stall the nominations process. Fearing that Republicans might lose their majority in the Senate following the mid-term elections in November, they have been rallying to push for Kavanaugh’s confirmation.
In the wake of Ramirez’s claims, the Democrats renewed their campaign to halt the vote, with Dianne Feinstein calling for “immediate postponement of any further proceedings” related to Kavanaugh’s nomination.
“I also ask 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,” she said.
In light of the new allegations, the Senate Judiciary Committee said it will “attempt to evaluate” the new claims, while slamming the Democrats for deliberately “withholding information” regarding the case. The Democrats appear to be “more interested in a political takedown,” instead of “pursuing allegations through a bipartisan and professional” probe, a spokesperson for Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley noted on Sunday night.
Meanwhile, the judge Kavanaugh saga may soon witness another chapter, after a lawyer for porn actress Stormy Daniels claimed he has “significant evidence” that the Supreme Court nominee participated in multiple gang rapes while in high school. According to the information allegedly in possession of Michael Avenatti, Kavanaugh “would participate in the targeting of women with alcohol/drugs in order to allow a ‘train’ of men to subsequently gang rape them.” In an email sent to Mike Davis, the chief counsel on nominations for the Senate Judiciary Committee, Avenatti noted that he will release “additional evidence” on these allegations “in the coming days.”
Like this story? Share it with a friend!