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A2   UP FRONT
                Monday 17 SepteMber 2018

            Woman accusing Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct comes forward


                                                                      clothing  and  covered  her  equivocally  deny  this  al-  vanaugh  on  grounds  that
                                                                      mouth  when  she  tried  to  legation.  I  did  not  do  this  as a justice he could vote to
                                                                      scream.                      back  in  high  school  or  at  undercut the Roe v. Wade
                                                                      "I  thought  he  might  inad-  any time," Kavanaugh said.  ruling legalizing abortion in
                                                                      vertently  kill  me,"  Christine  Top  Senate  Democrats,  the U.S.
                                                                      Blasey Ford told The Wash-   including  New  York  Sen.  Collins and Murkowski have
                                                                      ington Post in her first inter-  Chuck  Schumer,  immedi-  not said how they will vote.
                                                                      view.  "He  was  trying  to  at-  ately  called  for  postpone-  Neither senator is on the Ju-
                                                                      tack  me  and  remove  my  ment of a Thursday vote by  diciary  Committee,  which
                                                                      clothing."                   the Senate Judiciary Com-    is  scheduled  to  vote  on  a
                                                                      Ford,  now  51  and  a  clini-  mittee  on  whether  to  rec-  recommendation  for  the
                                                                      cal psychology professor at  ommend  that  the  full  Sen-  lifetime appointment.
                                                                      Palo Alto University in Cali-  ate confirm Kavanaugh to  Ford told the Post that Ka-
                                                                      fornia,  says  she  was  able  replace retired Justice An-  vanaugh  and  a  friend  —
                                                                      to  get  away  after  Kava-  thony Kennedy on the na-     both "stumbling drunk," she
            In this Sept. 6, 2018, file photo, after more than an hour of delay   naugh's  friend  jumped  on  tion's highest court. Repub-  says — corralled her into a
            over procedural questions, President Donald Trump's Supreme   top of them and everyone  licans  gave  no  indication  bedroom  during  a  house
            Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh waits to testify before the Sen-
            ate  Judiciary  Committee  for  the  third  day  of  his  confirmation   tumbled.      Sunday that they would do  party  in  Maryland  in  the
            hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington.                   Kavanaugh,  now  53  and  so.                             early  1980s  when  she  was
                                                     Associated Press  a  federal  appeals  judge  A  spokesman  for  Sen.  around 15 and Kavanaugh
                                                                      in  Washington,  has  de-    Chuck  Grassley  of  Iowa,  was  around  17.  She  says
            WASHINGTON  (AP)  —  The  were  in  high  school  has  nied the allegation. He re-     the  Judiciary  committee's  Kavanaugh  groped  her
            woman  who  has  accused  come  forward,  alleging  in  peated  that  denial  again  Republican chairman, said  over  her  clothes,  grinded
            Supreme  Court  nominee  an  interview  that  Kavana-     Sunday  through  the  White  Kavanaugh  already  went  his  body  against  hers  and
            Brett  Kavanaugh  of  sexual  ugh  pinned  her  to  a  bed,  House.                    through  several  days  of  tried  to  take  off  her  one-
            misconduct     when    they  clumsily tried to remove her  "I  categorically  and  un-  hearings  and  was  investi-  piece swimsuit and the out-
                                                                                                   gated  by  the  FBI.  He  said  fit she wore over it.
                                                                                                   the committee's top Demo-    Kavanaugh  covered  her
                                                                                                   crat,  Sen.  Dianne  Feinstein  mouth with his hand when
                                                                                                   of  California,  who  was  first  she  tried  to  scream,  she
                                                                                                   notified  of  the  allegation  says.  She  escaped  when
                                                                                                   in  late  July,  should  have  Kavanaugh's friend jumped
                                                                                                   brought  the  matter  to  the  on  them  and  everyone
                                                                                                   panel earlier.               tumbled, she says.
                                                                                                   "It  raises  a  lot  of  questions  In  the  interview,  Ford  says
                                                                                                   about  Democrats'  tactics  she  never  revealed  what
                                                                                                   and  motives,"  said  Taylor  had  happened  to  her  un-
                                                                                                   Foy, the spokesman.          til 2012, when she and her
                                                                                                   The  White  House  accused  husband  sought  couples
                                                                                                   Feinstein, who revealed the  therapy.
                                                                                                   existence of the letter late  Portions  of  her  therapist's
                                                                                                   last  week,  of  mounting  an  notes, which Ford provided
                                                                                                   "11th  hour  attempt  to  de-  to the Post, do not mention
                                                                                                   lay  his  confirmation."  Both  Kavanaugh  by  name  but
                                                                                                   Democratic  and  Republi-    say Ford reported being at-
                                                                                                   can  senators  questioned  tacked  by  students  "from
                                                                                                   her handling of the allega-  an elitist boys' school" who
                                                                                                   tion.                        went on to become "highly
                                                                                                   Feinstein  called  on  the  FBI  respected  and  high-rank-
                                                                                                   to  investigate  Ford's  story  ing  members  of  society  in
                                                                                                   "before  the  Senate  moves  Washington."
                                                                                                   forward on this nominee."    Kavanaugh  attended  a
                                                                                                   Kavanaugh's    nomination  private  school  for  boys  in
                                                                                                   by President Donald Trump  Maryland  while  Ford  at-
                                                                                                   has  divided  the  Senate,  tended a nearby school.
                                                                                                   with  most  Democrats  op-   Ford's   husband,   Russell
                                                                                                   posing  him  and  most  Re-  Ford,  also  told  the  news-
                                                                                                   publicans supporting him.    paper  that  his  wife  de-
                                                                                                   But the allegations of sexu-  scribed during therapy be-
                                                                                                   al  misconduct,  particularly  ing trapped in a room with
                                                                                                   coming  amid  the  #MeToo  two drunken boys and that
                                                                                                   movement  against  sexual  one  of  them  had  pinned
                                                                                                   harassment,  coupled  with  her to a bed, molested her
                                                                                                   Ford's  emergence  could  and  tried  to  prevent  from
                                                                                                   complicate  matters,  espe-  screaming.  He  said  he  re-
                                                                                                   cially  as  key  Republican  called  his  wife  using  Ka-
                                                                                                   senators,  including  Susan  vanaugh's  last  name  and
                                                                                                   Collins  of  Maine  and  Lisa  expressing  concern  that
                                                                                                   Murkowski  of  Alaska,  are  Kavanaugh — then a fed-
                                                                                                   under  enormous  pressure  eral  judge  —  might  some-
                                                                                                   from  outside  groups  who  day  be  nominated  to  the
                                                                                                   want  them  to  oppose  Ka-  Supreme Court.q
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