President’s pick faces high-stakes hearing

A woman who has accused US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her in 1982 was set to testify at a high-stakes Senate hearing that could determine whether he is confirmed or rejected for the nation’s top court.

Christine Blasey Ford will give her account of an alleged incident, in which she said Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a party when both of them were in high school.

Kavanaugh, who denies the allegations made by Ford as well as two other women who have come forward, will also testify, although he will not be in the room when Ford is speaking.

The all-male Republican majority on the Senate Judiciary Committee has hired a woman lawyer with experience prosecuting sex crimes, Rachel Mitchell, to question Ford.

Democratic senators are set to ask their own questions.

A conservative appeals court judge, Kavanaugh was nominated by President Donald Trump in July and appeared to be heading towards confirmation by the Republican-controlled Senate until Ford’s allegations became public earlier this month.

Now his fate is unclear. Although Republican leaders say they want to move forward with a confirmation vote, some moderate Republicans have not yet committed to voting for him.

They include Senator Jeff Flake, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and all the Democrats on the judiciary panel have called on Kavanaugh to withdraw in light of the allegations, and said if he does not, an FBI investigation is needed before any Senate confirmation vote.

If Kavanaugh’s nomination survives what is expected to be tough questioning from Democratic senators, the committee could vote on his appointment on Friday, with a final Senate vote early next week.

Supreme Court appointments must be confirmed by the Senate, and Trump’s fellow Republicans control the chamber by a narrow 51-49 margin.

Kavanaugh’s confirmation would cement conservative control of the high court as Trump moves to shift it and the federal judiciary to the right.

Ford, a psychology professor at Palo Alto University in California, has said a drunk Kavanaugh attacked her and tried to remove her clothing at a party in Maryland when he was 17 and she was 15.

Two other women, Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick, have also accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct during his youth.

Their allegations will also likely be discussed at the hearing. –