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WASHINGTON – The FBI's investigation into the allegation of sexual assault against Brett Kavanaugh, a Supreme Court candidate, could rely on a calendar entry that 39 He wrote decades ago and on a small group of people at a party at home where Christine Blasey Ford said to have been attacked.
The sudden turn of events intensified the spotlight Friday on Mark Judge, a fellow of Judge Kavanaugh, a student at the Georgetown Preparatory School, whose Dr. Ford was in the room at the time of the alleged attack in the early 1980s, near from Washington.
Dr. Ford stated that when Judge Kavanaugh had stuck him, Mr. Judge jumped on them laughing, allowing him to escape. But Mr. Judge said in a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee that he "had no recollection of this alleged incident". His lawyer, Barbara Van Gelder, said on Friday that he "would answer any questions the FBI would have asked him." or any law enforcement agency. "
Mr. Judge, age 54, described his ways of partying and once wrote about a character, "Bart O" Kavanaugh, who was so drunk that he was vomited in a car and that "he's fainted after his return."
Judge Kavanaugh dismissed his friend's writings on Thursday, calling them fiction and, while describing him as funny, talented and popular, pointed out that Mr. Judge "had developed a serious addiction problem that lasted for decades."
The social calendars kept by Judge Kavanaugh in high school indicate that he and Judge were close. "Go to Timmy for the skis with the judge, Tom, PJ, Bernie, Squi," read an entry on July 1, 1982.
"Skis" is a reference to breweries, or beer, based on the exchange between Judge Kavanaugh and Senator Cory Booker (D., N.J.) during a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee held Thursday. Judge Kavanaugh had originally stated that it was rare for him to drink on weekdays, but he admitted that the calendar indicated it. In fact, he drank sometimes during the week.
Democrats seized on this date. "This could possibly be a powerful corroborating evidence of the aggression," said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D., R.I.) Friday morning. "That happened that day. And that happened there. But without an investigation by the FBI, we can not say anything. "
Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa disputed this claim. "It's a bad gathering," he said, noting that the number of people on the calendar for this holiday was different from Mr. Ford's account of where he was assaulted.
In addition, the entry mentions that the party was held at "Timmy's", which Judge Kavanaugh identified as Georgetown Prep's classmate, Tim Gaudette, who signed letters to defend his friend against accusations. The word "squi" on the calendar was a reference to another classmate, Chris Garrett, said the judge.
A Christopher Garrett was part of a group from Georgetown Prep almuni who signed a letter in support of Judge Kavanaugh. Mr. Garrett did not comment further.
Dr. Ford said she did not remember the exact location of the house where the attack had occurred, but her memory from within could provide further clues. In her testimony to the Senate, she described recalling in detail the stairwell, living room, bedroom and bed to the right of the entrance to the room.
Dr. Ford identified a few people at the party and the FBI could contact them, including a boy named in his testimony "P.J. Smyth ": the same name that appears on the calendar entry of July 1. She said that she remembered P.J. as "very kind"; she said that he was down during the assault and that she thought that if P. heard her shouting, he could come and help her.
In a letter to the Judiciary Committee of the Senate on September 18, Patrick J. Smyth, suspected of being the man to whom she was referring, stated that he "had no acquaintance the party in question; I have no knowledge of the allegations of misconduct (Ford) that have been made against Brett Kavanaugh. He said that Judge Kavanaugh was a man of "great integrity" and that he had never seen his friend acting improperly towards women.
Dr. Ford also said that his friend, Leland Ingham Keyser, was at the meeting, although Ms. Keyser said by a lawyer that she "did not remember ever having attended a party or rally where he was present. , with or without Dr. Ford. Judge Kavanaugh mentioned it during Thursday's testimony.
Keyser said in an interview with The Washington Post that she was nonetheless convinced of Dr. Ford's allegation. Dr. Ford said Thursday that "Leland would not remember this mundane holiday. This was not one of their most notorious parties, as nothing remarkable happened to them that night. "
Write to Siobhan Hughes at [email protected]
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