Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her 36 years ago at a high school party, has agreed to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee next week, according to a letter sent by her lawyers to committee staff.
“Dr. Ford accepts the Committee’s request to provide her first-hand knowledge of Brett Kavanaugh’s sexual misconduct next week,” says the letter, which is signed by Ford’s lawyers Lisa Banks and Debra Katz. Lawyer Michael Bromwich has joined Katz’s legal team.
“Although many aspects of the proposal you provided via email, on September 21, 2018, at 2:33 pm, are fundamentally inconsistent with the Committee’s promise of a fair, impartial investigation into her allegations, and we are disappointed with the leaks and the bullying that have tainted the process, we are hopeful that we can reach agreement on details,” Katz and Banks say in the letter. The letter also requests that committee staff join a phone call Saturday afternoon to continue negotiations over Ford’s appearance.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley had requested that Ford respond to his invitation to testify before the Senate by Saturday afternoon. Republican committee staff and Ford’s lawyers had reached a stalemate in negotiations over the details of the testimony. Although Democratic committee staff members usually would participate in these negotiations, Democrats are refusing to do so because they believe that the investigation into the allegations should be conducted by the FBI.
Republicans on the committee and Ford’s lawyers had disagreed on numerous counts. Katz requested that the hearing be held next Thursday, and that Kavanaugh testify before Ford, among other requests. Republicans made a counteroffer on Friday of holding the hearing on Wednesday, and having Ford testify before Kavanaugh.
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