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| Julie Swetnick Is Third Woman to Accuse Brett Kavanaugh of Sexual Misconduct | Julie Swetnick Is Third Woman to Accuse Brett Kavanaugh of Sexual Misconduct |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh was accused Wednesday by another woman of having engaged in sexual misconduct at parties while he was a student at Georgetown Preparatory School in the 1980s. | Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh was accused Wednesday by another woman of having engaged in sexual misconduct at parties while he was a student at Georgetown Preparatory School in the 1980s. |
| The allegation came from Julie Swetnick, 55, who like Judge Kavanaugh, 53, grew up in the Washington suburbs. In a statement posted on Twitter by her lawyer, Ms. Swetnick said she observed the future Supreme Court nominee at parties where women were verbally abused, inappropriately touched, made “disoriented” with alcohol or drugs, and “gang raped.” | The allegation came from Julie Swetnick, 55, who like Judge Kavanaugh, 53, grew up in the Washington suburbs. In a statement posted on Twitter by her lawyer, Ms. Swetnick said she observed the future Supreme Court nominee at parties where women were verbally abused, inappropriately touched, made “disoriented” with alcohol or drugs, and “gang raped.” |
| She said she witnessed Judge Kavanaugh participating in some of the misconduct, including lining up outside a bedroom where “numerous boys” were “waiting for their ‘turn’ with a girl inside the room.” Ms. Swetnick said she was raped at one of the parties, and she believed she had been drugged. | She said she witnessed Judge Kavanaugh participating in some of the misconduct, including lining up outside a bedroom where “numerous boys” were “waiting for their ‘turn’ with a girl inside the room.” Ms. Swetnick said she was raped at one of the parties, and she believed she had been drugged. |
| None of Ms. Swetnick’s claims could be independently corroborated by The New York Times, and her lawyer, Michael Avenatti, declined to make her available for an interview. | None of Ms. Swetnick’s claims could be independently corroborated by The New York Times, and her lawyer, Michael Avenatti, declined to make her available for an interview. |
| President Trump said on Twitter that Mr. Avenatti was a “third rate lawyer who is good at making false accusations” and suggested he “is just looking for attention.” | |
| The White House issued a statement from Judge Kavanaugh describing the allegations as “ridiculous and from the Twilight Zone” and denying that he even knew Ms. Swetnick. “I don’t know who this is and this never happened,” the judge’s statement said. | |
| Unlike two other women who have accused Judge Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct, one who went to college with him and another who went to a sister high school, Ms. Swetnick offered no explanation in her statement of how she came to attend the same parties, nor did she identify other people who could verify her account. | |
| Judge Kavanaugh has repeatedly denied allegations that he behaved inappropriately toward women. On Monday, the judge, with his wife at his side, denied on Fox News that he had ever assaulted anyone, saying he had always “treated women with dignity and respect.” | Judge Kavanaugh has repeatedly denied allegations that he behaved inappropriately toward women. On Monday, the judge, with his wife at his side, denied on Fox News that he had ever assaulted anyone, saying he had always “treated women with dignity and respect.” |
| Asked if he had participated in or was aware of any gang rape at a party he attended, he said: “That’s totally false and outrageous. I’ve never done any such thing, known about any such thing.” | Asked if he had participated in or was aware of any gang rape at a party he attended, he said: “That’s totally false and outrageous. I’ve never done any such thing, known about any such thing.” |
| Mr. Avenatti, who rose to fame after his representation of Stephanie Clifford, the pornographic film actress who is known as Stormy Daniels and has taken on Mr. Trump, had been using his Twitter account for days to promote what he said would be explosive allegations against Judge Kavanaugh. | |
| And, immediately after Mr. Avenatti shared what he called a sworn affidavit from Ms. Swetnick, it drew immediate, blanket coverage across social media and cable news as another revelation to rock the confirmation process. | And, immediately after Mr. Avenatti shared what he called a sworn affidavit from Ms. Swetnick, it drew immediate, blanket coverage across social media and cable news as another revelation to rock the confirmation process. |
| In a brief interview, Mr. Avenatti said that he had corroborating witnesses who could back up Ms. Swetnick’s accounts, but was not ready to present them as he waited to see if the Senate Judiciary Committee would begin a full investigation into her claims as he demanded, along with an F.B.I. inquiry. | In a brief interview, Mr. Avenatti said that he had corroborating witnesses who could back up Ms. Swetnick’s accounts, but was not ready to present them as he waited to see if the Senate Judiciary Committee would begin a full investigation into her claims as he demanded, along with an F.B.I. inquiry. |
| Mr. Avenatti also said he was waiting to hear back from the committee before making Ms. Swetnick available for interviews. Asked why Ms. Swetnick would be attending parties with high schoolers during her college years, Mr. Avenatti said that the parties in question included people of both high school and college ages. | |
| In recent days, Judge Kavanaugh, as well as Mr. Trump, who nominated him in July, have been pushing back against the allegations relating to Judge Kavanaugh’s treatment of women. Mr. Trump called the claims a “con game” by Democrats who are “trying to delay and obstruct his confirmation.” | |
| Ms. Swetnick’s allegations come days after Deborah Ramirez, a Yale classmate, told The New Yorker that Judge Kavanaugh exposed himself to her during a party while they were students at Yale University. | Ms. Swetnick’s allegations come days after Deborah Ramirez, a Yale classmate, told The New Yorker that Judge Kavanaugh exposed himself to her during a party while they were students at Yale University. |
| It also comes as Judge Kavanaugh is on the verge of testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee about an allegation made this month by Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Judge Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her in high school. Dr. Blasey, who is sometimes known by her married name, Ford, is also expected to testify. | It also comes as Judge Kavanaugh is on the verge of testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee about an allegation made this month by Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Judge Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her in high school. Dr. Blasey, who is sometimes known by her married name, Ford, is also expected to testify. |
| Ms. Swetnick’s claims included Mark Judge, a classmate of Judge Kavanaugh. Mr. Judge, who has written about his alcohol-fueled years at Georgetown Prep, had denied the claim made by Dr. Blasey that he was in the room during an attempted assault by Judge Kavanaugh when they were teenagers. Barbara Van Gelder, a lawyer for Mr. Judge, said Wednesday that he denied the allegations in Ms. Swetnick’s statement. | Ms. Swetnick’s claims included Mark Judge, a classmate of Judge Kavanaugh. Mr. Judge, who has written about his alcohol-fueled years at Georgetown Prep, had denied the claim made by Dr. Blasey that he was in the room during an attempted assault by Judge Kavanaugh when they were teenagers. Barbara Van Gelder, a lawyer for Mr. Judge, said Wednesday that he denied the allegations in Ms. Swetnick’s statement. |
| Ms. Swetnick grew up in Montgomery County, Md., graduating from Gaithersburg High School in 1980 before attending college at the University of Maryland, according to a résumé for her posted online. Judge Kavanaugh graduated from Georgetown Prep in 1983. | Ms. Swetnick grew up in Montgomery County, Md., graduating from Gaithersburg High School in 1980 before attending college at the University of Maryland, according to a résumé for her posted online. Judge Kavanaugh graduated from Georgetown Prep in 1983. |
| In her statement, Ms. Swetnick wrote that she met Judge Kavanaugh and Mr. Judge in 1980 or 1981 when she was introduced to them at a house party in the Washington area. She saw them to be “extremely close friends” who were “consistently” together at social gatherings. She said she attended at least 10 house parties in the Washington area from 1981 to 1983 where the two were present. She said the parties were common, taking place almost every weekend during the school year. | In her statement, Ms. Swetnick wrote that she met Judge Kavanaugh and Mr. Judge in 1980 or 1981 when she was introduced to them at a house party in the Washington area. She saw them to be “extremely close friends” who were “consistently” together at social gatherings. She said she attended at least 10 house parties in the Washington area from 1981 to 1983 where the two were present. She said the parties were common, taking place almost every weekend during the school year. |
| She said she observed Judge Kavanaugh drinking “excessively” at many of the parties and engaging in “abusive and physically aggressive behavior toward girls, including pressing girls against him without their consent, ‘grinding’ against girls, and attempting to remove or shift girls’ clothing to expose private body parts.” | She said she observed Judge Kavanaugh drinking “excessively” at many of the parties and engaging in “abusive and physically aggressive behavior toward girls, including pressing girls against him without their consent, ‘grinding’ against girls, and attempting to remove or shift girls’ clothing to expose private body parts.” |
| “I also witnessed Brett Kavanaugh behave as a ‘mean drunk’ on many occasions at these parties,” she wrote. | “I also witnessed Brett Kavanaugh behave as a ‘mean drunk’ on many occasions at these parties,” she wrote. |
| She said that Judge Kavanaugh, Mr. Judge and others would try to spike the punch at parties in an effort to intoxicate women, who would be targeted and taken advantage of. In 1982, she said, she “became the victim of one of these ‘gang’ or ‘train’ rapes where Mark Judge and Brett Kavanaugh were present.” She said she told at least two people about the episode shortly afterward. “I also witnessed efforts by Mark Judge, Brett Kavanaugh and others to cause girls to become inebriated and disoriented so they could then be ‘gang raped’ in a side room or bedroom by a ‘train’ of numerous boys,” she said in the statement. | She said that Judge Kavanaugh, Mr. Judge and others would try to spike the punch at parties in an effort to intoxicate women, who would be targeted and taken advantage of. In 1982, she said, she “became the victim of one of these ‘gang’ or ‘train’ rapes where Mark Judge and Brett Kavanaugh were present.” She said she told at least two people about the episode shortly afterward. “I also witnessed efforts by Mark Judge, Brett Kavanaugh and others to cause girls to become inebriated and disoriented so they could then be ‘gang raped’ in a side room or bedroom by a ‘train’ of numerous boys,” she said in the statement. |
| In the intervening years, Ms. Swetnick has mostly remained in the Washington area, where she has worked as a web and information technologist. She has held a variety of public and private sector jobs over the years, including working for federal government agencies. | In the intervening years, Ms. Swetnick has mostly remained in the Washington area, where she has worked as a web and information technologist. She has held a variety of public and private sector jobs over the years, including working for federal government agencies. |
| According to her résumé and her statement, she has held several government clearances, including with the State Department and the Justice Department. | According to her résumé and her statement, she has held several government clearances, including with the State Department and the Justice Department. |