Christine Blasey Ford is prepared to testify on her sexual assault allegation against Brett Kavanaugh as long as senators offer 'terms that are fair and which ensure her safety,' her lawyer said.
Ford's attorney, Debra Katz, said her client 'would be prepared to testify next week,' in an email sent to Senate Judiciary Committee staff obtained by The New York Times.
But Ford is not willing to testify on Monday - the date Republicans set for the hearing.
Ford said that testifying Monday 'is not possible and the Committee's insistence that it occur then is arbitrary in any event,' according to the email from Katz.
Katz reiterated that it is For's 'strong preference' that 'a full investigation' occur before her testimony, but her altered language suggests she is willing to testify without an FBI investigation.
Protesters are arrested during a demonstration in opposition to Brett Kavanaugh on Capitol Hill on Thursday
Supporters rally outside of Ford's house in Palo Alto to show their support for her
Many held signs saying thank you
Katz offered to hold a call with committee staff on Thursday to discuss conditions under which Ford would appear and expressed her client's appreciation for the various options that have been suggested.
'As you are aware, she has been receiving death threats, which have been reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and she and her family have been forced out of their home,' the email said. 'She wishes to testify, provided that we can agree on terms that are fair and which ensure her safety.'
Her message came ahead of the 10 am Friday deadline Republicans had set for her decision on whether to testify.
Additionally Ford has hired Democratic operative Ricki Seidman, who was Joe Biden's communication director in the 2008 presidential campaign, as an adviser, Politico reported.
Seidman, a senior principal at TSD Communications, also worked as an investigator for Sen. Ted Kennedy, and was involved with Anita Hill's decision to testify against Supreme Court Nominee Clarence Thomas in his 1991 confirmation hearings.
'I believe her and I think she's very courageous for coming this far,' Seidman told Politico.
Republican say the move is a sign Democrats are trying to leverage Ford's accusation to derail the Kavanaugh's confirmation.
'If you're concerned about an appearance of partisanship, hiring a Democratic operative with a history of smearing conservative judges doesn't exactly mitigate that,' Cassie Smedile, press secretary for the Republican National Committee, told the news website.
And Ford's attorneys Debra Katz and Lisa Banks cancelled a fundraiser for Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin planned for next month.
They were listed as headliners in a 'cocktails and conversation' event for Baldwin on October 1 at their law firm Katz, Marshall & Banks.
But after CNN contacted the Baldwin campaign and the attorneys, Katz called CNN to say that the event was being canceled.
A Baldwin spokesman said it was an 'old invite' and the event was scheduled before Ford's accusation became public.
'The short answer is this: We did a fundraiser for Sen. Baldwin six years ago when we ran for the Senate, we supported her then,' Katz told CNN. 'We are not going to be doing a fundraiser now. We're going to be focused on the issues involving the Kavanaugh confirmation process.'
Meanwhile, Republicans were growing more confident that Kavanaugh will come through the sexual assault allegations against him and be confirmed to the Supreme Court.
Three key Republican senators are lining up with their colleagues, giving statements that encourage Ford to testify while hinting they would support going ahead with the vote on Kavanaugh if she does not.
It's a strong indication the GOP has enough votes for confirmation, giving Republicans a shot of confidence they can have Kavanaugh on the court before its new term begins on October 1.
Brett Kavanaugh leaves his home on Thursday; he is spending his fourth day in a row at the White House as he works to defend his Supreme Court nomination
Sen. Susan Collins is touting the GOP line, which is being seen as an indication she will vote with her party when the time comes
President Donald Trump and White House aides also feel good about the way the pendulum is swinging toward his second nominee to the high court.
'We're very confident,' one Republican in touch with the White House told Politico.
'This is not in the bag,' a White House official noted to the news website. 'But I think we know what we are going to do.'
Republicans are treading carefully though, not wanting to rile up women ahead of November's midterm election. Women voters are particularly influential in the suburban House districts GOP lawmakers are trying to hold on to.
'One thing that is keeping everyone in line is that we're worried about the #MeToo movement, but we're also worried about discouraging the base,' the Republican said. 'There is a real concern, if Kavanaugh does not get confirmed and we don't rally to the cause, it could hurt us.'
Ford, in a bombshell interview in Sunday's Washington Post, accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her at a high school party in the 1980s. She claims he held her down on the bed, tried to take off her clothes and covered her mouth when she screamed.
Kavanaugh strongly denies allegations.
Trump's nominee was spotted arriving at the White House on Thursday for the fourth day in a row as he fights to save his nomination.
He has been meeting with White House staff, including White House counsel Don McGahn, who's been guiding his nomination through the Senate; calling key Republican senators; and preparing to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee again on Monday.
Senators are waiting to hear if Ford, a professor of psychology at Palo Alto University, will appear on Monday also.
Ford's lawyers requested the FBI investigate Ford's allegation before she testifies, a move Republicans and Trump have said is not necessary.
And after Ford's lawyer made her demand, a few GOP senators who had called for a halt in Kavanaugh's confirmation process after Ford went public with her claims, said she needs to testify.
The actions of the three senators are notable. With Republicans 51-seat majority in the upper chamber, they can only lose one vote if all Democrats say no on Kavanaugh.
Sen. Susan Collins, who has always been seen as key to Kavanaugh's success, has indicated she would be fine with moving forward if Ford doesn't appear Monday.
'I think it's not fair for Judge Kavanaugh for her not to come forward and testify,' Collins told Maine radio station WVOM.
She also indicated she didn't support Ford's request for an FBI investigation.
'It seems to me, that this reverses the normal order of things,' Collins said.
'Usually the FBI does not pursue allegations against a nominee that occurred when the nominee was a minor,' she noted. 'It seems to me what we should be doing is bringing these two individuals before the committee.'
She added: 'If we need additional help from the FBI, then the committee can ask for it.'
While Collins isn't outright calling for a vote, she is towing the main GOP line. And her sticking to Republican talking points is seen as a sign she will vote with her party when the time comes.
Sen. Jeff Flake said he would support the Republican push to move forward with Kavanaugh's nomination if Ford does not appear at hearing Monday's hearing
Sen. Bob Corker said the GOP should vote if Ford doesn't appear on Monday
Republican Sen. Jeff Flake was the first lawmaker to put Kavanaugh's confirmation in doubt when he said Sunday he was 'not comfortable voting yes' on Kavanaugh until the Senate Judiciary Committee heard from Ford.
He told CNN Tuesday evening he would support the Republican push to move forward with Kavanaugh's nomination if Ford does not appear at hearing Monday's hearing.
'I think we'll have to move to the markup,' he said. 'I hope she does (appear). I think she needs to be heard.'
He is also pleading with Ford to speak to lawmakers - either in public or private.
'When Dr. Ford came forward, I said that her voice should be heard and asked the Judiciary Committee to delay its vote on Judge Kavanaugh. It did so. I now implore Dr. Ford to accept the invitation for Monday, in a public or private setting. The committee should hear her voice,' he tweeted Tuesday night.
Republican Sen. Bob Corker, who called for a delay on the Kavanaugh confirmation vote after Ford went public on Sunday, is now saying she should testify in Monday's scheduled hearing or the vote should proceed.
'After learning of the allegation, Chairman @ChuckGrassley took immediate action to ensure both Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh have the opportunity to be heard, in public or private. Republicans extended a hand in good faith. If we don't hear from both sides on Monday, let's vote,' he tweeted late Tuesday night.
The final key GOP senator is Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who has been much quieter than her colleagues.
But if the rest of the party falls in line, Republicans can afford to lose her vote, letting Vice President Mike Pence cast the tie breaker that would put Kavanaugh on the court.
Christine Ford has been given a deadline of 10 am on Friday to decide whether to testify
Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski is another key vote who has been quieter than her colleagues
There are also a few Democrats to watch.
Democratic Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Joe Donnelly of Indiana and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota all voted for Trump's first Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch and face voters this fall in their home states, which the president carried in the 2016 election.
All have said they are undecided.
And Democratic Senators Jon Tester of Montana and Claire McCaskill of Missouri are both in tough re-election contests in states Trump carried in 2016. They voted against Gorsuch.
McCaskill announced Wednesday she will vote no on Kavanaugh, citing his judicial record.
Tester remains undecided.
Other Democrats have echoed Ford's demand for an FBI investigation and for additional witnesses to be allowed to help collaborate her allegation.
They charge Republicans with not doing enough to ensure Ford avoids an Anita Hill-type situation, where Clarence Thomas' accuser was assailed by Senate Judiciary Committee members in his 1991 confirmation hearing, and the GOP is countering they are giving her the option of public or private testimony.
Trump has said the FBI doesn't need to investigate.
'It would seem that the FBI really doesn't do that,' he said.
And some Republican senators argue the job to vet a nominee's qualifications falls to them.
'We have no power to commandeer an Executive Branch agency into conducting our due diligence. The job of assessing and investigating a nominee's qualifications in order to decide whether to consent to the nomination is ours, and ours alone,' Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley said in a letter Wednesday to Ford's lawyers.
Grassley has given Ford a deadline of 10 am on Friday to decide whether or not she is coming Monday.
Ford's lawyers said Republicans are not acting in 'good faith.'
'The Committee's stated plan to move forward with a hearing that has only two witnesses is not a fair or good faith investigation; there are multiple witnesses whose names have appeared publicly and should be included in any proceeding,' Ford's lawyer Lisa Banks said in a statement on Wednesday. 'The rush to a hearing is unnecessary, and contrary to the Committee discovering the truth.'
Ford described to The Washington Post in detail how, when she was at a teenage party in the 1980s, Kavanaugh and his high school classmate followed her upstairs when she went to the bathroom and pushed her into a bedroom.
She detailed how Kavanaugh held her down, tried to rip off her swimsuit, and put his hand over her mouth when she tried to scream.
She said she escaped when his friend, Mark Judge, jumped on top of them.
'I thought he might inadvertently kill me,' Ford told the newspaper.
Kavanaugh has repeatedly and strongly denied the allegation.
'This is a completely false allegation. I have never done anything like what the accuser describes—to her or to anyone,' Kavanaugh said in a statement provided by the White House.
Kavanaugh said he 'had no idea' who made the allegation until Ford identified herself Sunday in a bombshell Washington Post interview.
'Because this never happened, I had no idea who was making this accusation until she identified herself yesterday,' he noted.
Link hienalouca.com
https://hienalouca.com/2018/09/21/kavanaugh-accuser-says-she-will-testify-if-senators-offer-fair-terms/
Main photo article Christine Blasey Ford is prepared to testify on her sexual assault allegation against Brett Kavanaugh as long as senators offer ‘terms that are fair and which ensure her safety,’ her lawyer said.
Ford’s attorney, Debra Katz, said her client ‘would be prepared to testify n...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves US News HienaLouca
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/09/20/20/5077945800000578-6190311-image-a-3_1537472186452.jpg
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий