Kavanaugh issues fresh denial of sex abuse claim

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has again denied a woman’s allegation that he sexually assaulted her at a party three decades ago. The White House released a new statement from the nominee in which he calls the claim “completely false”.

Mr Kavanaugh says he never did what the accuser describes “to her or anyone”.

The woman, Christine Blasey Ford, came forward on Sunday in an interview with The Washington Post to say a drunken Kavanaugh groped her and tried to take off her clothes at a party when they were teenagers.

Mr Kavanaugh says in the statement he “had no idea who was making this accusation until she identified herself”.

Mr Kavanaugh had been on a smooth confirmation track. Later, all ten Senate judiciary committee Democrats said they want the panel’s Republican chairman to postpone this week’s planned committee vote on Mr Kavanaugh’s nomination.