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U.S. NEWS Monday 1 october 2018

3rd Kavanaugh accuser has history of legal disputes

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN, him of assaulting her. Two involved in aren’t known, ness lunch. The lawsuit said
MICHAEL BIESECKER and other women have public- because documents in the that Swetnick in turn ac-
MARTHA MENDOZA, Asso- ly accused Kavanaugh of cases are incomplete or no cused Webtrends of sub-
ciated Press sexually abusing them. longer available. Records jecting her to “physically
WASHINGTON (AP) — Ju- One of those women, Chris- in the lawsuit filed in late and emotionally threaten-
lie Swetnick, one of the tine Blasey Ford, appeared 2000 by her ex-employer, ing and hostile conditions”
women who has publicly before the Senate Judicia- Oregon-based software and that she claimed that
accused Supreme Court ry Committee on Thursday company Webtrends, she’d been sexually ha-
nominee Brett Kavana- to offer emotional testimo- don’t indicate why it was rassed by four co-workers.
ugh of sexual misconduct, ny that even Kavanaugh’s dismissed. Avenatti said The co-workers denied the
has an extensive history of most ardent backers, in- there was a settlement in allegations, the suit said.
involvement in legal dis- cluding Trump, said they the case but no money Company officials later
putes, including a lawsuit in found credible. Another changed hands. determined, the suit said,
which an ex-employer ac- woman, Deborah Ramirez, In its civil complaint in a that Swetnick had provid-
cused her of falsifying her has accused Kavanaugh state court in Oregon, the ed false information on her
college and work history on of exposing himself to her company said Swetnick, a employment application.
her job application. during a drunken party software engineer, was an The suit alleged that she
Legal documents from when both were students employee for a few weeks had misrepresented the
Maryland, Oregon and at Yale University. Friends before its human resources length of time she worked
Florida provide a partial and colleagues of Ramirez department received a re- at a previous employer and
picture of a woman who describe her as a quiet per- port that she had engaged falsely claimed that she’d
stepped into the media son who has dedicated in “unwelcome sexual in- earned an undergradu-
glare amid the battle over herself to being an advo- nuendo and inappropri- ate degree in biology and
Kavanaugh’s nomination cate for needy families ate conduct” toward two chemistry from Johns Hop-
for the nation’s highest and survivors of domestic male co-workers at a busi- kins University.q
court. Court records re- violence. Swetnick was the
viewed by The Associated third named Kavanaugh
Press show Swetnick has accuser to emerge, when
been involved in at least six Avenatti released details of
legal cases over the past her accusations on Twitter
25 years. Along with the on the eve of Ford’s testi-
lawsuit filed by a former mony. Kavanaugh has de-
employer in November nied the claims regarding
2000, the cases include a him made by Swetnick and
personal injury suit she filed other women, characteriz-
in 1994 against the Wash- ing some of the allegations
ington, D.C., regional tran- as a “joke” and a “farce.”
sit authority. Ann Simonton, a nationally
Her lawyer, Michael Av- recognized advocate for
enatti, told the AP that rape survivors and director
court cases involving her of Media Watch, a media
have no bearing on the literacy organization, cau-
credibility of her claims tioned that many sexual
about Kavanaugh. Av- abuse survivors encounter
enatti said the suit from her chaos and trouble later in
ex-employer — it was dis- life — things can tarnish a
missed a month after it was survivor’s image but don’t
filed — was “completely necessarily speak to the
bogus, which is why it was legitimacy of the underly-
dismissed almost immedi- ing abuse allegations. “This
ately.” He told AP that he type of trauma will impact
“fully vetted” Swetnick be- your daily life forever,” she
fore helping her take her said. Swetnick, who is from
claims against Kavanaugh the Maryland suburbs of
public. Avenatti released a Washington, D.C., has said
sworn statement by Swet- she is willing to be inter-
nick this past week in which viewed by either Congress
she says she witnessed or the FBI. On Twitter, Av-
Kavanaugh “consistently enatti wrote that he and
engage in excessive drink- Swetnick would “thorough-
ing and inappropriate ly enjoy” embarrassing Re-
contact of a sexual nature publicans on the Judiciary
with women in the early Committee this weekend
1980s.” In the statement, “when her story is told
which was provided to the and is deemed credible.”
Senate Judiciary Commit- Swetnick has taped an in-
tee, Swetnick said she had terview with “The Circus,”
been sexually assaulted at a political program that is
a party attended by mem- part of Showtime’s Sunday
bers of Kavanaugh’s social lineup. Some details of the
circle, but did not accuse legal disputes she’s been