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| Kavanaugh accuser willing to testify if terms 'ensure her safety' | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Christine Blasey Ford, the professor who has accused supreme court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were teenagers, has signaled that she is willing to testify next week – but not on Monday as Republicans have demanded. | |
| In an email to the Senate judiciary committee, obtained by the New York Times, lawyers for Ford said on Thursday that she “wishes to testify, provided that we can agree on terms that are fair and which ensure her safety”. The email said Monday is “not possible”, according to the report. | |
| The move restarts negotiations between Ford and the committee, which had been locked in stalemate for more than 24 hours with uncertainty as to whether the high stakes public hearing would take place as Kavanaugh’s nomination hangs in the balance. | |
| It comes as demonstrators congregated in a Senate office building to protest against Republicans’ handling of the situation. About 100 people marched to the office of the judiciary committee chairman, Chuck Grassley, for a sit-in, some with fists raised. | |
| Grassley plans a hearing on Monday to which Kavanaugh and the woman who has made allegations against him, Christine Blasey Ford, have been invited. Ford and Democrats want the FBI to investigate her account but Republicans are refusing and Grassley has given her until 10am on Friday morning to confirm if she will testify. | Grassley plans a hearing on Monday to which Kavanaugh and the woman who has made allegations against him, Christine Blasey Ford, have been invited. Ford and Democrats want the FBI to investigate her account but Republicans are refusing and Grassley has given her until 10am on Friday morning to confirm if she will testify. |
| Referring back to the 1991 hearings on Capitol Hill when Anita Hill accused now-supreme court judge Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment, the demonstrators chanted: “We believe Anita Hill! We believe Christine Ford!” Some told Grassley aides they themselves have been victims of harassment. | Referring back to the 1991 hearings on Capitol Hill when Anita Hill accused now-supreme court judge Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment, the demonstrators chanted: “We believe Anita Hill! We believe Christine Ford!” Some told Grassley aides they themselves have been victims of harassment. |
| Thomas and Kavanaugh have denied the allegations against them. | Thomas and Kavanaugh have denied the allegations against them. |
| Meanwhile, a Democratic senator viewed as a possible swing vote announced she would vote against him. The Missouri senator Claire McCaskill, who is locked in a tight midterms re-election fight, said Wednesday night she would vote no on the nomination. | Meanwhile, a Democratic senator viewed as a possible swing vote announced she would vote against him. The Missouri senator Claire McCaskill, who is locked in a tight midterms re-election fight, said Wednesday night she would vote no on the nomination. |
| She called the sexual assault allegations against him “troubling”, but said the charges were not the basis for her decision. | She called the sexual assault allegations against him “troubling”, but said the charges were not the basis for her decision. |
| “My decision is not based on those allegations but rather on his positions on several key issues, most importantly the avalanche of dark, anonymous money that is crushing our democracy,” she said in a statement posted on Twitter. “He has revealed his bias against limits on campaign donations which places him completely out of the mainstream of this nation.” | “My decision is not based on those allegations but rather on his positions on several key issues, most importantly the avalanche of dark, anonymous money that is crushing our democracy,” she said in a statement posted on Twitter. “He has revealed his bias against limits on campaign donations which places him completely out of the mainstream of this nation.” |
| But Senator Dean Heller, a Republican of Nevada, predicted Donald Trump’s nominee would be confirmed, despite what he called the “hiccup” of allegations by the California university professor that Kavanaugh attacked her in high school. | But Senator Dean Heller, a Republican of Nevada, predicted Donald Trump’s nominee would be confirmed, despite what he called the “hiccup” of allegations by the California university professor that Kavanaugh attacked her in high school. |
| “We got a little hiccup here with the Kavanaugh nomination, we’ll get through this and we’ll get off to the races,” he said on Wednesday on a conference call with the Nevada Republican party, according to the Nevada Independent. | “We got a little hiccup here with the Kavanaugh nomination, we’ll get through this and we’ll get off to the races,” he said on Wednesday on a conference call with the Nevada Republican party, according to the Nevada Independent. |
| Anita Hill has backed Ford’s position. | Anita Hill has backed Ford’s position. |
| “Without an investigation, there cannot be an effective hearing,” she told PBS NewsHour on Wednesday. | “Without an investigation, there cannot be an effective hearing,” she told PBS NewsHour on Wednesday. |
| “It’s ironic that we have senators who are deciding about who is going to sit on the highest court, but they can’t really put partisanship aside long enough to put together a fair hearing to get to the truth about this situation,” Hill said. | “It’s ironic that we have senators who are deciding about who is going to sit on the highest court, but they can’t really put partisanship aside long enough to put together a fair hearing to get to the truth about this situation,” Hill said. |
| Senator Mazie Hirono, a Democratic judiciary committee member, said the FBI should also investigate death threats the accuser has since received. | Senator Mazie Hirono, a Democratic judiciary committee member, said the FBI should also investigate death threats the accuser has since received. |
| “I think there’s a crime that’s occurring right now … sounds like witness tampering to me,” she told MSNBC. | “I think there’s a crime that’s occurring right now … sounds like witness tampering to me,” she told MSNBC. |
| Kavanaugh, 53, has been spotted at the White House each day this week, CNN reported. | |
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