Republicans, Kavanaugh blame Feinstein

WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans repeatedly blamed ranking Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein for not revealing earlier Christine Blasey Ford’s letter detailing her allegations that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in high school.

Finally at the end of the day, Feinstein interrupted Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., to push back.

“I did not hide Dr. Ford’s allegations. I did not leak her story,” Feinstein said. “I was given some information by a woman who was very much afraid, who asked that it be held confidential, and I held it confidential until she decided that she would come forward.”

Republicans said they could have investigated Ford’s claim while protecting her identity, without delaying the confirmation process.

Ford named herself in The Washington Post after news and vague details about the letter leaked to the news media, and she thanked Feinstein in her opening statement.

Nearly every Republican on the committee, and Kavanaugh, directly referenced Feinstein on Thursday. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., accused her and Democrats of “lying in wait” to release the letter. Kavanaugh echoed that in his opening statement.

“This first allegation was held in secret for weeks by a Democratic member of this committee, and by staff,” Kavanaugh said. “It would be needed only if you couldn’t take me out on the merits.”

A GoFundMe campaign set up on behalf of Ford drew more than $200,000 in donations in the hours immediately after she mentioned it during her testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday.

As of 5 p.m., the campaign “Help Christine Blasey Ford,” one of at least two set up on her behalf, had raised more than $378,000 total — up from $175,000 when the hearing began at 10 a.m., according to a spokeswoman for the website.

The GoFundMe campaigns came up after Rachel Mitchell, a prosecutor who questioned Ford on behalf of Republican members, asked who had paid for a polygraph examination Ford took.

Ford’s lawyers, Michael Bromwich and Debra Katz, interjected to say that her legal team had paid for the polygraph and that they were working pro bono.

Kavanaugh apologized after tangling with Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

The senator from Minnesota asked Kavanaugh whether he ever drank so much that he couldn’t remember what happened. Kavanaugh answered “no.”

In a back-and-forth, he added, “Have you?”

Klobuchar said: “I have no drinking problem, Judge.” Kavanaugh responded: “Nor do I.”

After a break, he apologized.

Republican John Kennedy of Louisiana asked the nominee if he believed in God.

When Kavanaugh said he did, Kennedy told him this was a “last opportunity” to testify before “God and country.”

The senator asked the judge to look him in the eye and tell him if Ford’s allegations were true.

Kavanaugh said, “They’re not accurate.”

Kavanaugh said he didn’t watch Ford testify.

“I plan to, but I did not,” Kavanaugh said. “I was preparing mine.”