She won’t Kav in
Att’y: Brett accuser will spill — on her terms
Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused President Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, is willing to testify about her allegations but wants an imminent hearing to be pushed back, her attorney said Thursday.
Debra Katz, Ford's lawyer, said in a letter her client “would be prepared” to testify under oath before the Senate Judiciary Committee next week as long as the conditions are “fair” and senators can “ensure her safety.”
“As you are aware, she's been receiving death threats, which have been reported to the FBI, and she and her family have been forced out of their home,” Katz said. “She wishes to testify, provided that we can agree on terms.”
However, testifying Monday, as requested by Republicans, is “not possible,” according to Katz.
“The committee's insistence that it occur then is arbitrary, in any event,” Katz said.
Katz's statement came hours after Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) vowed to vote on Kavanaugh's nomination if Ford doesn't appear at the Monday hearing, which is supposed to feature testimony from both of them.
Echoing Democratic demands, Ford has pressed for an FBI investigation into her claims before she testifies, and Katz didn't completely preclude that possibility Thursday.
“Her strong preference continues to be for the Senate Judiciary Committee to allow for a full investigation prior to her testimony,” Katz said.
Grassley did not immediately respond to Katz's demands. The chairman has offered to host Ford in public or closed-door proceedings.
Taylor Foy, a spokesman for the Republicans who control the committee, said they are “happy that Dr. Ford's attorneys are now engaging,” but declined to comment on whether Grassley will consider her demands.
Ford, 51, alleges Kavanaugh was 17 when he drunkenly forced her into a room at a party while they were both in high school in the early 1980s. She says she feared for her life as Kavanaugh tried to rip her clothes off, groped her and pressed his hand against her mouth to keep her from screaming.
Ford says she was able to bolt from the room after Kavanaugh's friend, Mark Judge, jumped on top of them, making them fall to the ground.
Kavanaugh, 53, has vehemently denied the allegations.
Grassley earlier this week postponed a committee confirmation vote on Kavanaugh's nomination as the shocking allegations made national headlines.
Trump, himself accused of sexual misconduct by at least 19 women, has remained unusually mum amid the disturbing allegations against his Supreme Court pick, refraining from directly attacking Ford and saying she deserves to be heard.
However, the President has continued to praise Kavanaugh's supposedly spotless record.
“This is not a man who deserves this,” Trump told reporters earlier this week.