As Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, and his accuser, Christine Blasey Ford prepare to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee later this week, Kavanaugh has been hit with new allegations of sexual misconduct as more women step forward to let their voices be heard.
Kavanaugh has been accused of inappropriate behavior by a second woman, identified as Deborah Ramirez, 53, who attended Yale with Kavanaugh, CNN reports.
Ramirez has accused Kavanaugh of exposing himself to her at a dorm party, once again putting Kavanaugh on the defensive. Of course, Kavanaugh has denied the allegations saying “This alleged event from 35 years ago did not happen. The people who knew me then know that this did not happen, and have said so. This is a smear, plain and simple. I look forward to testifying on Thursday about the truth, and defending my good name — and the reputation for character and integrity I have spent a lifetime building — against these last-minute allegations.”
Nonetheless, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has called for a postponement of Kavanaugh’s confirmation, asking that the latest allegation be referred to the FBI. However, a spokesperson for committee chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), has only said that Grassley will “look into” the latest allegations, and as of early Monday morning there has been no indication that Kavanaugh’s hearing relating to Ford’s allegations will be delayed.
The White House is still standing behind Kavanaugh, with President Donald Trump saying that he is 100 percent with Kavanaugh.
“This 35-year-old, uncorroborated claim is the latest in a coordinated smear campaign by the Democrats designed to tear down a good man. This claim is denied by all who were said to be present and is wholly inconsistent with what many women and men who knew Judge Kavanaugh at the time in college say. The White House stands firmly behind Judge Kavanaugh,” White House spokesperson Kerry Kupec said in a statement.
And for those who may question why Ramirez has come forward now, she detailed to the New Yorker that she hesitated due to gaps in her memory as she had been drinking at the time. However, after reassessing her memories and speaking with her lawyer, she became confident enough to add her voice to Ford’s.
Ramirez claimed that Kavanaugh pushed his penis in her face, causing her to touch it without her consent.
“Brett was laughing,” she said. “I can still see his face, and his hips coming forward, like when you pull up your pants.”
“Somebody yelled down the hall, ‘Brett Kavanaugh just put his penis in Debbie’s face,’ ” Ramirez added. “It was his full name. I don’t think it was just ‘Brett.’ And I remember hearing and being mortified that this was out there.”
On top of that, another classmate of Ramirez’s who was not at the party said that he is “one hundred per cent sure” that either on the night of the party or within the next day or so, he was told Kavanaugh was the one who exposed himself to Ramirez. The classmate declined to be identified, but was able to independently recall many of the same details that Ramirez relayed to the New Yorker.
This allegation comes around the same time that Michael Avenatti, the attorney representing Stormy Daniels, told the Senate Judiciary Committee that he had several witnesses who claim that Kavanaugh participated in gang rapes of drunk women during high school
“We are aware of significant evidence of multiple house parties in the Washington, D.C. area during the early 1980s during which Brett Kavanaugh, Mark Judge and others would participate in the targeting of women with alcohol/drugs in order to allow a ‘train’ of men to subsequently gang rape them,” Avenatti said in an email to Mike Davis, chief counsel for nominations for the Senate Judiciary Committee, according to the New York Daily News.
In his email, Avenatti offered several suggested questions that the committee ask Kavanaugh, including “Did you ever target one or more women for sex or rape at a house party?” and “Did you ever attend any house party during which a woman was gang raped or used for sex by multiple men?”
My e-mail of moments ago with Mike Davis, Chief Counsel for Nominations for U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary. We demand that this process be thorough, open and fair, which is what the American public deserves. It must not be rushed and evidence/witnesses must not be hidden. pic.twitter.com/11XLZJBTtY
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) September 24, 2018
The witnesses that Avenatti cited have not been identified.
Avenatti also announced on Twitter on Sunday evening that he is representing “a woman with credible information” regarding Kavanaugh, and his longtime friend, Mark Judge.
“We will be demanding the opportunity to present testimony to the committee and will likewise be demanding that Judge and others be subpoenaed to testify. The nomination must be withdrawn,” he wrote.
I represent a woman with credible information regarding Judge Kavanaugh and Mark Judge. We will be demanding the opportunity to present testimony to the committee and will likewise be demanding that Judge and others be subpoenaed to testify. The nomination must be withdrawn.
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) September 23, 2018
Avenatti told Politico that he was representing a group of people who can confirm allegations surrounding Kavanaugh and Judge, including one person whom he identified as a victim.
“She will testify,” he said. “But before she does, she will likely appear on camera for an interview.”