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WASHINGTON – It is expected that senators will weigh the credibility of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, a woman who accused Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault in her testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday.
But Kavanaugh, too, will be under pressure to prove his credibility with regard to the statements he made last week about the incident that allegedly took place when they were both teenagers in high school.
In an interview with Fox News with his wife, the candidate sought to downplay his involvement in what was described as an overflowing drink culture at Georgetown Prep, Maryland's private high school for boys that he has attended in the 1980s.
Kavanaugh told animator Martha MacCallum Monday that at the time he was focused on "trying to be # 1 in my class and being captain of the college basketball team and achieving my goals." service projects at the church ". I spent time in high school studying or concentrating on sports and being a good friend of boys and girls with whom I was a friend. He also stated that he was a virgin in high school and "several years later".
His portrayal of a healthy young man clearly aimed to refute the allegations of Blasey and Deborah Ramirez, a second woman who had introduced herself over the weekend, and accused Kavanaugh of exposing her penis while they were all dating. In both allegations, which were denied by the high court candidate, Kavanaugh was described as being severely intoxicated and his drinking was mentioned by others as a factor that significantly affected his behavior.
The idea that Kavanaugh was a choir boy was reduced to nothing when his Yale roommate issued a statement following the Fox News interview that described him as a "heavy drinker" become drunk and aggressive. "Based on my time with Brett, I believe that he and his social entourage were capable of actions that Debbie [Ramirez] described, "said James Roche Monday.
The case of Kavanaugh may have also suffered after the New York Times published an article the same day detailing its high school yearbook page, which included apparent references to alcohol and the party. He and his friends seemed to boast about their supposed sexual conquest of a young woman from a nearby school, a reference that she described as "offensive," according to the Times.
Democratic lawmakers said Tuesday that Kavanaugh's responses to the Fox News interview had raised more questions as to whether he had been completely honest with the American people.
"I think he's raised questions about credibility, claiming facts that could be false," said Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, at HuffPost.
Blumenthal also reported that during Thursday's hearing the Democrats were considering asking Kavanaugh a question about his directory, which the senator described as a "minefield".
Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Meanwhile, said that Kavanaugh's comments this week and the latest revelations underscored the need to reopen the FBI's substantive investigation into the candidate.
"It seems to me that the candidate himself would say," I think I am innocent. We are here every few hours and we discover something else. I should ask the president to open an FBI investigation and eliminate my name, "said Wyden.
Republicans, however, told HuffPost that they were not concerned about Kavanaugh's credibility issues, given his comments this week. They said that they were anxious to hear Blasey before voting on the appointment.
"I thought he was very truthful about the facts, so I do not think it will be a problem," said Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) Tuesday.
Senator James Lankford (R-Okla.) Stated that he had no reason to doubt Kavanaugh's description of his life as a young man. The senator sought to distinguish between the allegations of sexual assault and the issues on the consumption of alcohol.
"If he's going to make a cover denial, then he'll have to support it," Lankford said of Kavanaugh's portrait of his high school years. "But it's one thing for him to be able to talk about sexual assault; it's another thing to talk about drinking.
"Obviously, he did not hide the fact that he drank a lot in high school and university," said Lankford, noting that he had not watched the Fox News interview in its entirety.
While Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee plan to directly interview Kavanaugh and Blasey on Thursday, Republican panelists said they would rely on an unnamed woman as an outside counsel to do so. for them.
The decision probably has something to do with the fact that every GOP senator on the committee is a man, and they do not want to be seen as a person who denounces sexual assault, especially in the weeks to come. .
"I think it's really smart to have an outside advisor," said Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.). told reporters Tuesday.
When asked why, Corker said, "Someone's going to do something you're going to do 24/7, and that inadvertently, someone will do something." something that is insensitive.
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