Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearings took an unexpected turn when he was accused of attempted rape.Professor Christine Blasey Ford wrote a confidential letter to her congresswoman this summer accusing Kavanaugh of pinning her down and attempting to rape her as his friend stood watch when they were teenagers. She later identified herself in an interview with The Washington Post after her identity was leaked to the press.The situation became more complicated Monday, because another woman, Deborah Ramirez, has come forward with another set of allegations.Here’s what you need to know about this increasingly messy situation.1. What happened?The second incident allegedly happened when Ramirez and Kavanaugh were freshmen at Yale University during the 1983-1984 school year. Ramirez told The New Yorker she was at a dorm party and participated in a drinking game.“We were sitting in a circle,” she said. “People would pick who drank.” After she was chosen several times, Ramirez became intoxicated and was on the floor. She remembers male students standing over her and suddenly, there was a penis in her face. Ramirez unwillingly touched it to move it away.“Brett was laughing. I can still see his face, and his hips coming forward, like when you pull up your pants,” she recalled. “Somebody yelled down the hall, ‘Brett Kavanaugh just put his penis in Debbie’s face.’ It was his full name. I don’t think it was just ‘Brett.’ And I remember hearing and being mortified that this was out there.”2. Kavanaugh denies everything.Kavanaugh released a statement denying the incident ever happened, and accused Ramirez of lying to sabotage his campaign.“This alleged event from 35 years ago did not happen,” he said. “The people who knew me then know that this did not happen and have said so. This is a smear, plain and simple. I look forward to testifying on Thursday about the truth and defending my good name — and the reputation for character and integrity I have spent a lifetime building — against these last-minute allegations.”In a letter to the Judiciary Committee, Kavanaugh refused to withdraw from Supreme Court consideration.“As I told the Committee during my hearing, a federal judge must be independent, not swayed by public or political pressure,” he wrote. “That is the kind of judge I will always be. I will not be intimidated into withdrawing from this process. The coordinated effort to destroy my good name will not drive me out.”3. The White House is standing by him, and refuses to rescind the nomination.White House spokesperson Kerri Kupec released a statement affirming the Trump administration’s support for the embattled judge.“This 35-year-old, uncorroborated claim is the latest in a coordinated smear campaign by the Democrats designed to tear down a good man,” Kupec wrote. “This claim is denied by all who were said to be present and is wholly inconsistent with what many women and men who knew Judge Kavanaugh at the time in college say. The White House stands firmly behind Judge Kavanaugh.”The New Yorker rebutted this statement, pointing out that some people present at the party did not deny, but in fact corroborated Ramirez's claims.President Trump, who faces nearly 20 accusations of sexual misconduct himself, dismissed the allegations as “totally political,” according to CNBC."There is a chance this could be one of the single most unfair, unjust things to happen to a candidate for anything," Trump said. "But I am with Judge Kavanaugh, and I look forward to a vote."HUD Secretary Ben Carson believes the allegations are a conspiracy by liberals to take over America, and compared those calling for Kavanaugh to step aside to “wet hornets.”“If you really understand the big picture of what’s going on, then what’s going on with Judge Kavanaugh will make perfectly good sense to you,” he said. “There have been people in this country for a very long time, going all the way back to the Fabians, who have wanted to fundamentally change this country.”White House advisor Kellyanne Conway told CBS the accusations are "starting to feel like a vast left-wing conspiracy."4. Democrats want to postpone Thursday’s Senate hearing.The Senate Judiciary Committee scheduled a hearing with Ford for Thursday. She, along with Kavanaugh, have agreed to testify, but Democrats want to halt the hearing until a full investigation of Ramirez’s claims takes place. Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) wrote a letter to committee chairman Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) requesting a delay and tweeted her stance.Thursday's hearing should be canceled in light of a disturbing new allegation of sexual misconduct against Brett Kavanaugh. The FBI must investigate ALL allegations.— Sen Dianne Feinstein (@SenFeinstein) September 24, 2018“Thursday's hearing should be canceled in light of a disturbing new allegation of sexual misconduct against Brett Kavanaugh. The FBI must investigate ALL allegations,” she wrote.Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) also tweeted a call for an investigation:The FBI must investigate these claims and Dr. Blasey Ford’s. It is also more clear than ever that Mark Judge must be compelled to testify in front of the Judiciary Committee. https://t.co/wzaZWH1ygc— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) September 24, 2018“The FBI must investigate these claims and Dr. Blasey Ford’s. It is also more clear than ever that Mark Judge must be compelled to testify in front of the Judiciary Committee,” she wrote.5. There might be a third accuser. On Sunday night, Michael Avenatti, attorney for one of the women accusing Trump of misconduct, Stormy Daniels, tweeted he has agreed to represent a woman who has some more tea about Kavanaugh.I represent a woman with credible information regarding Judge Kavanaugh and Mark Judge. We will be demanding the opportunity to present testimony to the committee and will likewise be demanding that Judge and others be subpoenaed to testify. The nomination must be withdrawn.— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) September 23, 2018“I represent a woman with credible information regarding Judge Kavanaugh and Mark Judge,” he said. “We will be demanding the opportunity to present testimony to the committee and will likewise be demanding that Judge and others be subpoenaed to testify. The nomination must be withdrawn.”Thirty minutes later, he confirmed Ramirez is not his client.My client is not Deborah Ramirez.— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) September 23, 2018Avenatti later tweeted he received an email from Mike Davis, chief counsel for nominations for the Senate Judiciary Committee.“We are aware of significant evidence of multiple house parties in the Washington, D.C., area during the early 1980s during which Brett Kavanaugh, Mark Judge and others would participate in the targeting of women with alcohol/drugs in order to allow a 'train' of men to subsequently gang rape them,” the email read.My e-mail of moments ago with Mike Davis, Chief Counsel for Nominations for U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary. We demand that this process be thorough, open and fair, which is what the American public deserves. It must not be rushed and evidence/witnesses must not be hidden. pic.twitter.com/11XLZJBTtY— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) September 24, 2018This plot continues to thicken.Now, check these out:New York Times Columnist Charles Blow Recalls His Own Sexual Assault While Defending Kavanaugh Accuser Christine Blasey FordThe Erosion Of Human Rights Began With Women-- Christine Blasey-Ford Is A Painful ReminderI Was Arrested For Protesting Brett Kavanaugh -- Here's Why I'm Prepared To Do It...
New York Times columnist Charles Blow used his traumatic experience to defend Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct and attempted sexual assault.Blow made an impassioned plea for compassion toward Blasey Ford and other victims of sexual abuse while sitting on a panel for CNN's Cuomo Prime Time Wednesday night. Ford has accused Kavanaugh of attempting to rape her while they were teenagers. Kavanaugh claims the attempted rape never happened.“We have to all take a step back and be respectful of Professor Ford," Blow said. "This is not only, if it is true, it is not only a sexual assault ― it’s a childhood sexual assault,” Blow said. “And if you have never been the victim of a childhood sexual assault, everybody needs to calm down and take a step back. Stop asking why she didn’t say anything.”That very question has been on the lips of many Republicans, including the president, who has been accused of sexual assault by at least 19 women himself.Donald Trump worked to discredit Ford Friday on Twitter:I have no doubt that, if the attack on Dr. Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed with local Law Enforcement Authorities by either her or her loving parents. I ask that she bring those filings forward so that we can learn date, time, and place!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 21, 2018Blow criticized that argument and admitted he didn’t tell a soul about his assault until over a decade after it happened.“The first time I told somebody was 17 years later, a stranger. Next time I told somebody was two years after that. Next time I told somebody was eight years after that. It was 37 years before I told everybody in the world in a book,” he said.The Fire Shut Up In My Bones author also explained why a childhood sexual abuse survivor might have trouble recalling some details of an incident.“I understand how if this happened to her and she can remember everything in that room and not the day,” he said.“For us, it is a living thing that lives in our bodies. You wrestle with it all the time. I can’t say that I thought about [my assault] every day, but I thought about it all the time. It was a living memory. It didn’t move like other memories in my brain where it starts to fade. You’re thinking about it all the time, so all of that minutiae — he stood there, they turned the music on — all of that is alive in you.”Watch the segment below: Now, check these out:I Was Arrested For Protesting Brett Kavanaugh -- Here's Why I'm Prepared To Do It AgainActivists Remember A Full Page NYT Ad 1,600 Black Women Signed In Support Of Anita Hill Ahead Of Kavanaugh HearingsAnita Hill Says Senate Judiciary Committee Is Being Given Another Chance To Do Right By Sexual Assault Accusers In Wake Of Kavanaugh...
Is a woman only a woman through a man’s eye? This is the question I asked myself as I began writing this piece. It is a simple question, so it should require a simple answer. What is sexual assault? I don’t know. That is a much harder question and I do not have a law degree. I do know that sexual assault cannot be defined by the perpetrator or the accused. Brett Kavanaugh, the "can’t lose" nominee, has inspired his very own Not Him Too movement on Capitol Hill. The Republican Party almost in unison have decidedly rebuffed any idea that Brett Kavanaugh’s character can be slightly flawed due to his righteous upbringing and notable career, but Christine Blasey Ford has just as equal of an upbringing and is very accomplished in her particular field. Brett Kavanaugh is a professor cited in many law journals considered to be extremely ethical and is highly respected, but so is his accuser Christine Blasey Ford. Our current political climate has caused many of our politicians and their supporters to turn a blind eye to particular social grievances while pledging allegiance to their own personal ideologies in veiled acts of patriotism. Six weeks ago Christine Blasey Ford wrote a letter accusing Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault to a Democratic official. Brett Kavanaugh is Donald Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court. If confirmed he will be Donald Trump’s second judge appointed to the Supreme Court. Christine Blasey Ford is a woman that attended a high school party with a young Brett Kavanaugh over 30 years ago.The truth is the only thing that exists as is. It is not right or wrong, it is not for sale nor is it free, and it is not good or bad. It is the truth and that it all it is. The truth exists whether you acknowledge it or not. It is our perspective that decides what then the truth looks like. It is our decision to acknowledge it or not. The Republican GOP and Donald Trump have extended a broken olive branch to Christine Blasey Ford. The Republican GOP has given Mrs. Ford an ultimatum to testify before them without holding an FBI investigation of her allegation of sexual assault against Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh. This is a false attempt at hearing her, and a blatant attempt to erode her human rights. From Clarence Thomas and Anita to Neil Gorsuch and no one; from Bill Cosby, Roy Moore, Les Moonves, and Harvey Weinstein - there are substantial precedents for how this claim should be handled. Mrs. Ford’s only request is that a non-biased party, the FBI, investigate her claim. There is no legitimate reason to deny her this process, not only as an American but as a person.The GOP gave Mrs. Ford until today, September 21 to decide to testify next week in front of them without holding any investigation. Republicans and the president claim that this is not the type of investigation the FBI gets involved in and that the time of the assault is an impediment, but these are not things that prevented an investigation when Anita Hill made her claims against Clarence Thomas, and the time of Bill Cosby’s tyranny is what fueled the justice against him. But America has separate issues when it comes to black men and their potential for prison. Christine Blasey Ford should be heard out to the full extent of the law, and any American who isn’t troubled by the actions of the president and the GOP should only question when this will happen to them. The erosion of human rights did not begin with the sanctioned kidnapping of immigrant children. It began with women. Christine Blasey Ford is getting death threats for simply coming forth to tell her truth. If she is telling a lie, someone out there is taking her seriously even if it’s no one on Capitol...
Sitting on the U.S. Supreme Court is one of the highest honors granted to a legal professional. With this role comes a tremendous responsibility to uphold justice and set a precedent for laws based on a constitutional standard without bias. The American people should ideally have the utmost trust in a nominated official, as their vote will decide laws that can affect a citizen’s life. So what happens when an official is accused of sexual assault?Brett Kavanaugh, who President Donald Trump nominated for a seat on the Supreme Court, was recently accused of sexual assault by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. The accusation came just days before the Senate Judiciary Committee's September 20 vote where they'll decide whether to confirm Kavanaugh. The controversy dramatically mirrors the nomination of Justice Clarence Thomas in 1991.Professor Anita Hill accused Justice Thomas of sexual assault nearly thirty years ago, and in a Tuesday essay for The New York Times, she expressed concerns about the committee’s handling of her testimony and how Kavanaugh's confirmation gives them another opportunity to keep an alleged sexual predator away from the Supreme Court. “In 1991, the Senate Judiciary Committee had an opportunity to demonstrate its appreciation for both the seriousness of sexual harassment claims and the need for public confidence in the character of a nominee to the Supreme Court,” Hill wrote. “It failed on both accounts.”“That the Senate Judiciary Committee still lacks a protocol for vetting sexual harassment and assault claims that surface during a confirmation hearing suggests that the committee has learned little from the Thomas hearing, much less the more recent #MeToo movement,” Hill continued. After accusations became public, some senators suggested the committee hold off on the nomination to hear Ford’s testimony, while others continued to push for an official vote on Thursday. Although it has officially been postponed to await Ford and Kavanaugh’s testimonies scheduled for next Monday, as reported by Politico, Hill has a few words of advice for the committee:“Refrain from pitting the public interest in confronting sexual harassment against the need for a fair confirmation hearing. Our interest in the integrity of the Supreme Court and in eliminating sexual misconduct, especially in our public institutions, are entirely compatible.”“Select a neutral investigative body with experience in sexual misconduct cases that will investigate the incident in question and present its findings to the committee.”“Do not rush these hearings. Doing so would not only signal that sexual assault accusations are not important – hastily appraising this situation would very likely lead to facts being overlooked that are necessary for the Senate and the public to evaluate.”“Refer to Christine Blasey Ford by her name. She was once anonymous, but no longer is. Dr. Blasey is not simply ‘Judge Kavanaugh’s accuser.’ Dr. Blasey is a human being with a life of her own. She deserves the respect of being addressed and treated as a whole person.”Now, check these out:Senator Kamala Harris Gave Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh The Business During His Senate Committee HearingResist Kavanaugh: Why A Losing Political Battle Doesn’t Mean We Should Stop FightingHere’s What All The Black U.S. Senators Had To Say About Trump’s SCOTUS Pick Brett...
