Schoolmate backs Kavanaugh accuser, says incident was talked about at school
WASHINGTON — A schoolmate of Christine Blasey Ford, the California psychology professor who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were in high school, backed Ford’s claim Wednesday in a letter she posted to Facebook.
“Christine Blasey Ford was a year or so behind me, I remember her,” wrote Cristina King Miranda, who graduated a year ahead of Ford at Holton-Arms School in Bethesda, Md. HoltonArms is an all-girls school whose students frequently socialized with the students at Georgetown Prep, Kavanaugh’s all-male alma mater.
“This incident did happen,” Miranda wrote. “Many of us heard about it in school and Christine’s recollection should be more than enough for us to truly, deeply know that the accusation is true.”
Ford told The Washington Post she was afraid Kavanaugh might “inadvertently kill” her during a high school party in the early 1980s, alleging that the Supreme Court nominee pinned her to a bed and groped her over a one-piece bathing suit.
Miranda, who works in Mexico City as a performing arts curator, described in her letter a rampant drinking culture among the elite prep schools in the Washington area.
She wrote that Kavanaugh should “admit his actions from so long ago, speak from the heart, and apologize” if he wants to be confirmed.
“Those would be the actions of a person we want in the Supreme Court,” she said.
Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu of California retweeted an Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter’s tweet containing a copy of Miranda’s Facebook post.
“The FBI needs to interview this witness,” Lieu wrote of Miranda, before asking, “Will more witnesses step forward?”
Lawyers for Ford want the FBI to investigate the allegation against Kavanaugh before she testifies at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
They rejected a proposal from Chairman Charles E. Grassley of an open hearing Monday in which Ford and Kavanaugh would testify about the alleged episode and answer lawmakers’ questions.
“The hearing was scheduled for six short days from today and would include interrogation by Senators who appear to have made up their minds that she is ‘mistaken’ and ‘mixed up,’” the lawyers wrote on Ford’s behalf.
Republicans are unlikely to acquiesce to the condition of an FBI investigation before a hearing if their criticism of Democrats for withholding the information for roughly six weeks is any indication.
It’s been 70 days since President Donald Trump nominated Kavanaugh, and the Senate has spent more than two months poring through his background, including hundreds of testimonials from people who know him, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said.
“Now an accusation of 36year-old misconduct dating back to high school has been brought forward at the last minute in an irregular manner,” the Kentucky Republican said.