Kavanaugh denies accuser's allegation, says he will "refute" it before Senate Judiciary Committee
Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh issued a new denial Monday morning in response to a woman's allegation that he assaulted her when they were both in high school. Kavanaugh said he's willing to "refute" her "false allegation" before the Senate Judiciary Committee "in any way the committee deems appropriate."
Kavanaugh's new statement came a day after Christine Blasey Ford, a professor at Palo Alto University, went public with her claims in an interview published Sunday in the Washington Post. Ford, her attorney said, is also willing to speak to the committee.
Kavanaugh had issued a flat denial of claims outlined in a letter Ford sent to Democrats, but in his new statement, Kavanaugh said he had no idea who had made the accusation "until she identified herself yesterday." The White House is standing by Kavanaugh's initial denial.
"This is a completely false allegation," Kavanaugh said in a statement Monday morning. "I have never done anything like what the accuser describes—to her or to anyone. Because this never happened, I had no idea who was making this accusation until she identified herself yesterday. I am willing to talk to the Senate Judiciary Committee in any way the committee deems appropriate to refute this false allegation, from 36 years ago, and defend my integrity."
It's unclear whether the willingness to testify expressed from both Ford and Kavanaugh will delay the confirmation process. As of Sunday afternoon, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley intended to move forward with the committee vote as planned. But some Republicans, not to mention Democrats, have expressed they want to hear from Ford first, and the Senate is out of session Wednesday for the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur.
This is a developing story and will be updated.