September 20, 2018Gronda Morin

Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Expects Dr. Ford To Testify At Same Table As Judge Kavanaugh

Image result for photos of Judge Kavanaugh and Dr. Blasey ford
SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY

On September 19, 2018 CNN published the letter that the attorneys for Dr. Christine Blasey Ford sent to the Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) in response to his demand for her to appear at its hearing scheduled for September 24th, where she would be expected to sit at the same table with Judge Brett Kavanaugh, the man she is alleging, attempted to rape her at a high school party in Maryland.

The attorneys on Mrs. Ford’s behalf are requesting that the FBI conduct an investigation into the facts of this case that occurred over 35 years ago. This is not as far fetched as it sounds. Mrs. Ford has identified another party to the alleged attempted rape, Mark Judge who is claiming no recollection but who does have a history for alcohol abuse. His memory might improve if he were to be questioned by FBI under oath. If the FBI can corroborate that the party occurred, that goes a long way to bolster Dr. Ford’s credibility, since Judge Kavanaugh is denying that he attended any such party.

ANITA HILLDr. Ford and her attorneys are following the playbook of what Anita Hill has shared. She faced similar circumstances in 1991 with her sexual harassment claim against the then Supreme Court nominee, Clarence Thomas.

She has recommended the following in her New York Times opinion piece: 

“To do better, the 2018 Senate Judiciary Committee must demonstrate a clear understanding that sexual violence is a social reality to which elected representatives must respond.  The job of the Senate Judiciary Committee is to serve as fact-finders, to better serve the American public, and the weight of the government should not be used to destroy the lives of witnesses who are called to testify.”

Image result for photos of Judge Kavanaugh and Dr. Blasey ford

“Here are some basic ground rules the committee should follow:

“Refrain from pitting the public interest in confronting sexual harassment against the need for a fair confirmation hearing. Our interest in the integrity of the Supreme Court and in eliminating sexual misconduct, especially in our public institutions, are entirely compatible. Both are aimed at making sure that our judicial system operates with legitimacy.”

“Select a neutral investigative body with experience in sexual misconduct cases that will investigate the incident in question and present its findings to the committee. Outcomes in such investigations are more reliable and less likely to be perceived as tainted by partisanship. Senators must then rely on the investigators’ conclusions, along with advice from experts, to frame the questions they ask Judge Kavanaugh and Dr. Blasey. Again, the senators’ fact-finding roles must guide their behavior. The investigators’ report should frame the hearing, not politics or myths about sexual assault.”

Image result for photos of Judge Kavanaugh and Dr. Blasey ford

Read the full letter text by Dr. Ford’a attorneys here as shared by CNN:


By Electronic Mail

September 18, 2018
The Honorable Charles E. Grassley
Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary
United States Senate
135 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Senator Grassley:
Thank you for reaching out yesterday afternoon. Dr. Christine Blasey Ford looks forward to working with you and the Committee.
As you know, earlier this summer, Dr. Ford sought to tell her story, in confidence, so that lawmakers would have a fuller understanding of Brett Kavanaugh’s character and history. Only after the details of her experience were leaked did Dr. Ford make the reluctant decision to come forward publicly.
In the 36 hours since her name became public, Dr. Ford has received a stunning amount of support from her community and from fellow citizens across our country. At the same time, however, her worst fears have materialized. She has been the target of vicious harassment and even death threats. As a result of these kind of threats, her family was forced to relocate out of their home. Her email has been hacked, and she has been impersonated online.
While Dr. Ford’s life was being turned upside down, you and your staff scheduled a public hearing for her to testify at the same table as Judge Kavanaugh in front of two dozen U.S. Senators on national television to relive this traumatic and harrowing incident. 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.”
While no sexual assault survivor should be subjected to such an ordeal, Dr. Ford wants to cooperate with the Committee and with law enforcement officials.
As the Judiciary Committee has recognized and done before, an FBI investigation of the incident should be the first step in addressing her allegations. A full investigation by law enforcement officials will ensure that the crucial facts and witnesses in this matter are assessed in a non-partisan manner, and that the Committee is fully informed before conducting any hearing or making any decisions.
We would welcome the opportunity to talk with you and Ranking Member Feinstein to discuss reasonable steps as to how Dr. Ford can cooperate while also taking care of her own health and security.
Sincerely,
Debra S. Katz
Lisa J. Banks

Attorneys for Dr. Christine Blasey Ford

cc: The Honorable Dianne Feinstein

Ranking Member, Committee on the Judiciary

14 comments

  1. A perfectly reasonable letter. Under no circumstances must Dr.Ford be asked to sit at the same table as her alleged attacker. If as expected Sen. Grassly presses forward with his call for an early vote it will show that he’s not interested in the truth and is only interested in getting this nomination through. There is another question seemingly without a satisfactory answer that should bring these proceedings to a shuddering halt which is where $200,000 appeared from to clear his credit card debts. It looks bad for a judge to b taking large sums of money from anyone.
    Hugs Gronda

    Liked by 3 people

    • Dear David,

      I’m like you in that, I’m thrilled the attorneys for Dr. Ford shared their letter with the media.

      Can you believe these republicans are acting like they are doing her a favor by giving her the opportunity to come forward to give her testimony under these set of circumstances? If she doesn’t agree to these adverse conditions, they are claiming they will continue without her, and that its her fault for not caving in to being traumatized again.

      Of course, they are not interested in truly hearing from her as that would put the lie to what they are doing.

      There is no way women in US are not outraged by this. These old men who would sit in judgement of her are absolutely clueless.

      Hugs, Gronda

      Liked by 2 people

  2. The attitude the lady is receiving, the downright bullying by these old goats is horrendous. They have lost their moral compass and now feel free to lie and be led by a pathological liar. They are denying this woman’s right to a fair hearing for fear they will not rush this judge into a lifetime position if there is an investigation. what kind of judge is he not to want a full and complete clearing of his name?

    Liked by 3 people

    • Dear Holly,

      I have absolutely no doubt that Justice Kennedy was influenced to retire when he did. Unfortunately, that is not illegal, its just crass, ugly politics.

      They wanted a judicial win before the November elections. There was a reason why Judge Kavanaugh was not on the Federal Society’s original list of Justices delivered to President Trump. There is a reason that the Senate’s Majority Leader Senator McConnell recommended that the president NOT pick Judge Kavanaugh to sit on the US Supreme Court. There’s a reason that the president withheld 102,000 pieces of data from the Bush era, related to work done by Judge Kavanaugh, from being able to be reviewed by the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

      The republicans are in a rush to push this nomination though asap to where Dr. Ford is simply roadkill.

      She is absolutely right to refuse to subject herself from being re-traumatized.

      Hugs, Gronda

      Liked by 3 people

  3. Gronda, as Anita Hill said they still don’t get it. I know the answer, but why are they in such a hurry to appoint a judge to a life long position of jurisprudence. If this is true, I do not want him on the Supreme Court. The American people are owed an investigation and I say this even if the other party was in charge.

    Yet, 1/3 of the country is not bothered by a President who groped multiple women in public. So, maybe it is fitting that Trump picked this man. Keith

    Liked by 3 people

      • Dear Keith,

        As we’ve noted, some republicans must have known about the possibility of Dr. Ford going public about her sexual assault assertions against Judge Kavanaugh or they wouldn’t have had the letter, favorable to Judge Kavanaugh, signed by 65 women within a few hours of Dr. Ford going public.

        I hate to tell the republicans this but even Ted Bundy could have done likewise.

        At the most, the vote would be delayed by a couple of weeks by having the FBI reopen a background check on Judge Kavanaugh. If he is innocent, he and his republican backers should welcome the assist to clear his name. The question is, why are they resisting what was easily done in 1991 with the Anita Hill/ Clarence Thomas case? Then the FBI check took 3 days.

        Incidentally, there are no ‘statute of limitations’ requirements for sexual assault crimes in the State of Maryland where this attempted rape allegedly happened.

        Hugs, Gronda

        Liked by 1 person

  5. Dear Horty,

    And these grumpy old GOP men in the US Senate think they are doing Dr. Ford a favor by welcoming her into a den of hungry lions without any weapons of defense, like the results of a FBI probe, and then they want her to grateful for the opportunity of being eaten alive. They don’t get how she would balk at such a generous offer.

    Thanks a million times over for all of your support and for this reblog.

    Hugs, Gronda

    Like

Comments are closed.