Woman who accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault wants FBI investigation before testifying

WASHINGTON - The woman who has accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault decades ago wants the FBI to investigate her allegation before she testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee - a demand that came as President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans increasingly rallied to the defense of the embattled Supreme Court nominee.

“A full investigation by law enforcement officials will ensure that the crucial facts and witnesses in this matter are assessed in a nonpartisan manner, and that the committee is fully informed before conducting any hearing or making any decisions,” lawyers for the woman, Christine Blasey Ford, said in a letter to the panel late Tuesday.

The committee had invited Kavanaugh and Ford to testify at a public hearing Monday, but Ford’s response raises questions about whether the GOP will proceed with the session and ultimately press ahead with a vote on Kavanaugh, who was nominated in July to replace the retired Justice Anthony Kennedy. The two-page letter does not explicitly say she will not attend if there is no FBI probe.

Many Republican officials maintained Tuesday that such a hearing would be Kavanaugh’s best chance at preserving his nomination to the high court, since it would give the judge - who seems determined to fight the allegation - an opportunity to respond to the claims. But Democrats, like Ford, argued that the scheduled Monday session should be delayed until the FBI further investigates her allegation.

The letter from Ford’s lawyers described death threats and harassment since the Washington Post published her account Sunday.

“In the 36 hours since her name became public, Dr. Ford has received a stunning amount of support from her community and from fellow citizens across our country.

“At the same time, however, her worst fears have materialized,” the letter said. “She has been the target of vicious harassment and even death threats. As a result of these kind of threats, her family was forced to relocate out of their home. Her email has been hacked, and she has been impersonated online.”

The letter also refers to Ford testifying “at the same table” as Kavanaugh, although a spokesman for Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said it was never the plan, nor was it conveyed to Ford and her attorneys, to have them testify together.

In a statement late Tuesday night, Grassley disputed that the FBI would need to investigate before Ford appeared before the committee and said: “The invitation for Monday still stands.”

“Dr. Ford’s testimony would reflect her personal knowledge and memory of events,” Grassley said. “Nothing the FBI or any other investigator does would have any bearing on what Dr. Ford tells the committee, so there is no reason for any further delay.”

The FBI declined to comment Tuesday after the letter from Ford’s lawyers was made public. The Justice Department said previously that the FBI updated Kavanaugh’s background-check file to include the allegation and suggested that that is the extent of what the agency plans to do.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, San Francisco, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, urged Republicans to delay Monday’s hearing after Ford’s lawyers sent their response. The high-stakes hearing was set without consultation with Ford, although Grassley’s office has said his staff offered Ford multiple dates for a potential hearing.

“I agree with her 100 percent that the rushed process to hold a hearing on Monday has been unfair and is reminiscent of the treatment of Anita Hill,” Feinstein said, referring to the woman who testified in 1991 that now-Justice Clarence Thomas had sexually harassed her. “I also agree that we need the facts before senators - not staff or lawyers - speak to witnesses.”

Earlier, Democrats protested Republicans’ decision to limit the witnesses at Monday’s hearing to just Ford and Kavanaugh, saying it would turn the testimony into a “he said, she said” spectacle.

At a White House news conference Tuesday afternoon, Trump encouraged the hearing to proceed so Ford can “state her case,” but he predicted that the public setting would ultimately exonerate Kavanaugh and expressed sympathy for his nominee.

“I feel so badly for him that he’s going through this,” Trump said. “… This is not a man that deserves this.”

He called Kavanaugh “a great gentleman” and lamented that his wife and daughters are experiencing the public airing of accusations that Trump said Feinstein should have brought up earlier in his confirmation process. Feinstein has said she kept the accusation confidential at Ford’s request.

Though Kavanaugh’s confirmation prospects looked shaky earlier this week after Ford’s allegations became public, senior Republicans on Tuesday were increasingly determined to press forward with his nomination.

“All I can say is that we’re bringing this to a close,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina. “They’ve had tons of time to do this. This has been a drive-by shooting when it comes to Kavanaugh. … I’ll listen to the lady, but we’re going to bring this to a close.”

Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, a close Kavanaugh friend who introduced him at his confirmation hearings this month, said, “Obviously, the process was very unfair.” He added: “I’m not blaming [Ford], I’m blaming the Democrats who misused this process.”

And Sen. John Cornyn, Texas, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, sharply questioned Ford’s credibility. Speaking to reporters, Cornyn said he was concerned by “gaps” in the account of Ford, who told the Washington Post that, at a house party in the early 1980s when the two were in high school, Kavanaugh drunkenly pinned her to a bed, groped her and put his hand over her mouth to stifle her screams.

“The problem is, Dr. Ford can’t remember when it was, where it was or how it came to be,” Cornyn told reporters at the Capitol.

In another part of the dispute, Democrats insisted that Mark Judge, a Kavanaugh friend from their time at Georgetown Preparatory School, should appear before the panel to testify about the alleged incident.

Republicans “have just completely tried to ram this thing through,” said Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-?Vermont, a former chairman of the committee.