Kavanaugh accuses ready to testify, his lawyer said; the judge offers a new denial

A lawyer for Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who said that Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh assaulted her when they were in high school, said Monday that Ford was ready to testify about allegations before the Senate Judiciary Committee .

"She is, she is ready to do everything in her power to make her story known," said lawyer Debra Katz on NBC's "Today" show when it was asked if his client would speak publicly about President Trump's Supreme Court candidate.

Kavanaugh subsequently issued a new denial of the allegations, which frustrated his confirmation process, stating that he was willing to discuss with the committee in the manner that he deems appropriate.

"I have never done anything similar to what the accuser describes – to her or to anyone," he said in a statement. "Because it never happened, I had no idea who was doing this accusation until it identified yesterday."

[GOP senator: Hold off on Kavanaugh vote until accuser is heard]

The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), plans to begin follow-up calls to Kavanaugh and Ford, rather than calling the woman to testify before the committee, said Monday morning a Grassley spokesperson.

But Grassley had trouble getting scheduled calls. Democrats insist that the FBI deal with the issue by reopening Kavanaugh's substantive investigation, rather than asking committee staff to make appeals.

A vote in committee on the appointment of Kavanaugh is scheduled for Thursday.

Highlighting the uncertainty Kavanaugh faces, Senator Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), Considered among the votes cast on the appointment, issued a statement stating that "the allegations against Judge Kavanaugh are serious and deserve to be reconsidered ".

"Given the nature of these allegations and the number of outstanding issues, I think the Judiciary Committee should delay the scheduled vote on Thursday," he said.

The White House said on Monday that it continued to stand with Kavanaugh but hoped Ford would offer its testimony to the Judiciary Committee.

"This woman should not be insulted, and she should not be ignored," White House advisor Kellyanne Conway said in an interview on Fox News Channel's Fox & Friends.

Conway called Kavanaugh "a man of character and integrity" but said that, based on conversations with Trump and Senators, she expects Ford to tell its story to the committee, either through phone or in person.

"It should be heard," said Conway, adding that the process "should not unduly delay Judge Kavanaugh's vote."

Conway then tweeted that Kavanaugh was "ready to add to his dozens of hours of sworn testimony".

Earlier Monday, the White House issued a statement reiterating that Kavanaugh was denying the allegations, which surfaced last week without the name of the accuser.

"On Friday, Judge Kavanaugh categorically and unequivocally rejected this claim," said White House spokeswoman Kerri Kupec. "It has not changed. Judge Kavanaugh and the White House both agree with this statement.

In an article published on Sunday, Ford told the Washington Post that in the early 1980s, Kavanaugh and a friend – both "drunk", says Ford – took her to a room at a rally. teens in a Montgomery County home. Maryland

While her friend was watching him, she said, Kavanaugh slammed her against her bed and pulled her over her clothes, rubbing her body against his and clumsily trying to pull off her one – piece swimsuit and the clothes that she was wearing. she wore. When she tried to scream, she put her hand on her mouth.

During the NBC interview, Katz described Kavanaugh's actions as "attempted rape," adding that his client felt that "if there was not a severe Brett Kavanaugh intoxication, she would have been raped." ".

Ford "does not take a position" on whether Kavanaugh should withdraw his appointment, said Katz. "She believes that these allegations obviously relate to her character and physical form, and course denials of course relate to her character and physical form."

On Monday morning, the Democrats intensified calls for the postponement of the vote in committee.

During a television interview, Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) Stated that Ford was to be heard but argued that it would be "too fast" for her to run for the Capitol this week.

"I do not know if that's right," said Durbin, a member of the Judiciary Committee, on CNN. "I do not really know."

In a letter sent later, the 10 Democrats on the Judiciary Committee urged Grassley to postpone Thursday's vote.

"All senators, regardless of party, should insist that the FBI exercise due diligence and fully investigate allegations as part of its examination of Justice Kavanaugh's background," Senators said. "Once the FBI has completed its independent work, we hope to work together in a bipartite way to decide next steps."

Meaning. Jeff Flake (Arizona) and Bob Corker (Tennessee), Republicans who retire at the end of this term, have joined the Democrats in calling for the vote to be postponed until the committee hears Ford.

Trump has not said anything publicly about Kavanaugh's appointment since the publication of Ford's allegations.

After appearing at Fox News on Monday, Conway told reporters at the White House that Kavanaugh had been approved six times by the FBI. This process is "very comprehensive, I can assure you," she said.

Sean Sullivan and Felicia Sonmez contributed to this report.