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| Jeff Flake Confronted By Sexual Assault Survivors: Full Transcript | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Senator Jeff Flake, Republican of Arizona, announced on Friday that he intended to support Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court, a day after hearings about allegations of sexual misconduct involving Judge Kavanaugh. | Senator Jeff Flake, Republican of Arizona, announced on Friday that he intended to support Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court, a day after hearings about allegations of sexual misconduct involving Judge Kavanaugh. |
| Mr. Flake was confronted by protesters in the halls of the Capitol on the way to the Senate Judiciary Committee, where the panel was going to vote to send Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the full Senate floor. | Mr. Flake was confronted by protesters in the halls of the Capitol on the way to the Senate Judiciary Committee, where the panel was going to vote to send Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the full Senate floor. |
| The following is a transcript of the conversation between Mr. Flake and two women who described their experiences of sexual assault. | The following is a transcript of the conversation between Mr. Flake and two women who described their experiences of sexual assault. |
| [For more coverage of Judge Kavanauagh’s confirmation and the Senate Judiciary Commitee’s actions on Friday, read here.] | [For more coverage of Judge Kavanauagh’s confirmation and the Senate Judiciary Commitee’s actions on Friday, read here.] |
| ____________ | ____________ |
| PROTESTER: On Monday, I stood in front of your office [inaudible]. I told the story of my sexual assault. I told it because I recognized in Dr. Ford’s story that she is telling the truth. What you are doing is allowing someone who actually violated a woman to sit on the Supreme Court. This is not tolerable. You have children in your family. Think about them. I have two children. | PROTESTER: On Monday, I stood in front of your office [inaudible]. I told the story of my sexual assault. I told it because I recognized in Dr. Ford’s story that she is telling the truth. What you are doing is allowing someone who actually violated a woman to sit on the Supreme Court. This is not tolerable. You have children in your family. Think about them. I have two children. |
| I cannot imagine that for the next 50 years they will have to have someone in the Supreme Court who has been accused of violating a young girl. What are you doing, sir? | I cannot imagine that for the next 50 years they will have to have someone in the Supreme Court who has been accused of violating a young girl. What are you doing, sir? |
| ANOTHER PROTESTER: I was sexually assaulted and nobody believed me. I didn’t tell anyone, and you’re telling all women that they don’t matter, that they should just stay quiet because if they tell you what happened to them you are going to ignore them. That’s what happened to me, and that’s what you are telling all women in America, that they don’t matter. They should just keep it to themselves because if they have told the truth, you’re just going to help that man to power anyway. | ANOTHER PROTESTER: I was sexually assaulted and nobody believed me. I didn’t tell anyone, and you’re telling all women that they don’t matter, that they should just stay quiet because if they tell you what happened to them you are going to ignore them. That’s what happened to me, and that’s what you are telling all women in America, that they don’t matter. They should just keep it to themselves because if they have told the truth, you’re just going to help that man to power anyway. |
| That’s what you’re telling all of these women. That’s what you’re telling me right now. Look at me when I’m talking to you. You are telling me that my assault doesn’t matter, that what happened to me doesn’t, and that you’re going to let people who do these things into power. That’s what you’re telling me when you vote for him. Don’t look away from me. | That’s what you’re telling all of these women. That’s what you’re telling me right now. Look at me when I’m talking to you. You are telling me that my assault doesn’t matter, that what happened to me doesn’t, and that you’re going to let people who do these things into power. That’s what you’re telling me when you vote for him. Don’t look away from me. |
| Look at me and tell me that it doesn’t matter what happened to me, that you will let people like that go into the highest court of the land and tell everyone what they can do to their bodies. | Look at me and tell me that it doesn’t matter what happened to me, that you will let people like that go into the highest court of the land and tell everyone what they can do to their bodies. |
| REPORTER: Do you want to respond, Senator Flake? | REPORTER: Do you want to respond, Senator Flake? |
| PROTESTER: Senator Flake, do you think that Brett Kavanaugh is telling the truth? | PROTESTER: Senator Flake, do you think that Brett Kavanaugh is telling the truth? |
| AIDE: Thank you. | AIDE: Thank you. |
| PROTESTER: Do you think that he’s able to hold the pain of this country and repair it? That is the work of justice. The way that justice works is you recognize hurt, you take responsibility for it and then you begin to repair it. You are allowing someone who is unwilling to take responsibility for his own actions and willing to hold the harm he has done to one woman, actually three women, and not repair it. You are allowing someone who is unwilling to take responsibility for his own actions — | PROTESTER: Do you think that he’s able to hold the pain of this country and repair it? That is the work of justice. The way that justice works is you recognize hurt, you take responsibility for it and then you begin to repair it. You are allowing someone who is unwilling to take responsibility for his own actions and willing to hold the harm he has done to one woman, actually three women, and not repair it. You are allowing someone who is unwilling to take responsibility for his own actions — |
| REPORTER: Do you want to respond? | REPORTER: Do you want to respond? |
| PROTESTER: — to sit in the highest court of the country and to have the role of repairing the harm that has been done in this country to many people. | PROTESTER: — to sit in the highest court of the country and to have the role of repairing the harm that has been done in this country to many people. |
| SENATOR JEFF FLAKE: Thank you. | SENATOR JEFF FLAKE: Thank you. |
| PROTESTER: No, no thank you. What do you think? | PROTESTER: No, no thank you. What do you think? |
| REPORTER: Senator, do you care to respond? | REPORTER: Senator, do you care to respond? |
| AIDE: Ma’am, do you want to talk to this staffer out here? | AIDE: Ma’am, do you want to talk to this staffer out here? |
| PROTESTER: No. I want to talk to him. Don’t talk to me. What do you think? | PROTESTER: No. I want to talk to him. Don’t talk to me. What do you think? |
| MR. FLAKE: I need to go to the hearing. | MR. FLAKE: I need to go to the hearing. |
| PROTESTER: I understand, but tell me. I’m standing right here in front of you. | PROTESTER: I understand, but tell me. I’m standing right here in front of you. |
| PROTESTER: What do you have — do you think he’s telling the truth? | PROTESTER: What do you have — do you think he’s telling the truth? |
| MR. FLAKE: Thank you. I’m going to go to — | MR. FLAKE: Thank you. I’m going to go to — |
| PROTESTER: No. Do you think that he’s telling the truth to the country? | PROTESTER: No. Do you think that he’s telling the truth to the country? |
| ANOTHER PROTESTER: You have power, but so many women are powerless. | ANOTHER PROTESTER: You have power, but so many women are powerless. |
| MR. FLAKE: Thank you. [Inaudible] | MR. FLAKE: Thank you. [Inaudible] |
| UKNOWN: Can you not give them an answer, senator? | UKNOWN: Can you not give them an answer, senator? |
| AIDE: We have our press available to talk to you. Thank you. Thank you. You can either come in or out. Thank you. | AIDE: We have our press available to talk to you. Thank you. Thank you. You can either come in or out. Thank you. |
| PROTESTER: Saying thank you is not an answer. This is about the future of our country, sir. You are appointing him to a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court — | PROTESTER: Saying thank you is not an answer. This is about the future of our country, sir. You are appointing him to a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court — |
| AIDE: We’ve gotta go. We’re calling security. | AIDE: We’ve gotta go. We’re calling security. |
| PROTESTER: That’s fine. Find security. | PROTESTER: That’s fine. Find security. |
| [Inaudible] | [Inaudible] |
| UNKNOWN: Senator, why not be a hero and vote no? | UNKNOWN: Senator, why not be a hero and vote no? |
| PROTESTER: Why now? Why not wait? Why not wait for the investigation? There is no harm — | PROTESTER: Why now? Why not wait? Why not wait for the investigation? There is no harm — |
| PROTESTER: How can you be speechless? | PROTESTER: How can you be speechless? |
| PROTESTER: We demand to know what you’re thinking. Do you stand with these women? Do you stand with this nation who deserves due process? | PROTESTER: We demand to know what you’re thinking. Do you stand with these women? Do you stand with this nation who deserves due process? |
| REPORTER: Senator, do you want to respond to their complaints? Senator, do you care to respond to their complaints? | REPORTER: Senator, do you want to respond to their complaints? Senator, do you care to respond to their complaints? |
| MR. FLAKE: No. I need to go to the hearing. I just issued a statement. I’ll be saying more as well. | MR. FLAKE: No. I need to go to the hearing. I just issued a statement. I’ll be saying more as well. |
| PROTESTER: We can’t get an answer? | PROTESTER: We can’t get an answer? |
| MR. FLAKE: No, there have been a lot of questions here, and I don’t want to — | MR. FLAKE: No, there have been a lot of questions here, and I don’t want to — |
| PROTESTER: There is only one question. | PROTESTER: There is only one question. |
| REPORTER: The American Bar Association says that they should wait for an F.B.I. investigation. Do you not believe that? | REPORTER: The American Bar Association says that they should wait for an F.B.I. investigation. Do you not believe that? |
| PROTESTER: — being heard by the highest people in power that they’re — | PROTESTER: — being heard by the highest people in power that they’re — |
| PROTESTER: Do what is right. | PROTESTER: Do what is right. |
| [Inaudible] | [Inaudible] |
| MR. FLAKE: Thank you. | MR. FLAKE: Thank you. |