Brett Kavanaugh: Judge accuser agrees to testify on Thursday
23 September 2018
The woman accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault has agreed to testify against him on Thursday. Lawyers for Professor Christine Blasey Ford said she had agreed to an open hearing with the Senate Judiciary Committee to be questioned about the alleged attack at a party in 1982. The hearing will take place at 10:00 local time (14:00 GMT) on 27 September. Judge Kavanaugh has repeatedly denied the allegations. The allegations, which emerged in the US media last week, have delayed his confirmation to the Supreme Court. Prof Ford had originally been granted a deadline of Friday to agree to testify. This was later extended to Saturday by Senator Chuck Grassley, the leading Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee. On Sunday, Dr Ford's legal team said they had spoken to the Committee and agreed to an open hearing on Thursday. "Despite actual threat to her safety and her life, Dr Ford believes it is important for Senators to hear directly from her," the team said in a statement. However, numerous "important procedural and logistical issues remain unresolved", they said - including who will be asking the questions. The allegations against Judge Kavanaugh became public last week, after it emerged Prof Ford had detailed the alleged assault in a confidential letter to the top Democratic senator on the judiciary committee, Dianne Feinstein, in July. As the judge neared confirmation, news about the letter leaked to US media. Ms Feinstein then confirmed she had passed it on to the FBI. After days of continued media speculation, Prof Ford went on record in a Washington Post article as the mystery accuser, detailing the alleged assault. She said Mr Kavanaugh had tried to drunkenly remove her clothing at a party, pinned her to a bed and covered her mouth when she was 15 and he was 17. Since then, her lawyers have been in back-and-forth negotiations with the Judicial Committee, trying to agree on terms for her to testify. She had asked for a number of preconditions, including not testifying with Mr Kavanaugh in the room and the subpoenaing of his friend, Mark Judge, who she said had witnessed the alleged sexual assault. On Sunday, her legal team's statement said she would move forward with a hearing despite the Committee's "refusal" to subpoena Mr Judge. Some Republicans, including President Trump, have accused her and Democratic politicians of deliberately trying to delay and obstruct the judge's confirmation, and urged them to push forward the process. The feelings are strong on both sides - with both Prof Ford and Brett Kavanaugh and his wife receiving threats and rallies of support over the matter. The choice of a new justice for the Supreme Court is pivotal, as it often gives the final word on highly contentious laws and its nine judges have an immense impact on US public life. As Mr Trump's pick, Brett Kavanaugh must first be approved by the Senate before he can take his seat - but before that vote can happen, he has to be approved by the Judiciary Committee, where Prof Ford will now testify. The Senate is made up of 51 Republicans and 49 Democrats - so her testimony on the allegations could prove key.
Prof Ford had originally been granted a deadline of Friday to agree to testify. This was later extended to Saturday by Senator Chuck Grassley, the leading Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee. On Sunday, Dr Ford's legal team said they had spoken to the Committee and agreed to an open hearing on Thursday. "Despite actual threat to her safety and her life, Dr Ford believes it is important for Senators to hear directly from her," the team said in a statement. However, numerous "important procedural and logistical issues remain unresolved", they said - including who will be asking the questions.
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What has Dr Ford said about testifying?
Some Republicans, including President Trump, have accused her and Democratic politicians of deliberately trying to delay and obstruct the judge's confirmation, and urged them to push forward the process. The feelings are strong on both sides - with both Prof Ford and Brett Kavanaugh and his wife receiving threats and rallies of support over the matter.
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What has been the reaction?
The choice of a new justice for the Supreme Court is pivotal, as it often gives the final word on highly contentious laws and its nine judges have an immense impact on US public life. As Mr Trump's pick, Brett Kavanaugh must first be approved by the Senate before he can take his seat - but before that vote can happen, he has to be approved by the Judiciary Committee, where Prof Ford will now testify. The Senate is made up of 51 Republicans and 49 Democrats - so her testimony on the allegations could prove key.
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Why is the hearing important?