Christine Blasey Ford is "100 percent" certain Brett Kavanaugh assaulted her
Christine Blasey Ford told the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday she is "100 percent" certain that Brett Kavanaugh is the one who assaulted her, during a discussion about two men who have come forward to suggest she may have been mistaken, and they might have been the perpetrators.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, raised the issue directly with Ford during questioning. "Last night the Republican staff of this committee released to the media timeline that shows that they've interviewed two people who claim they were the ones who actually assaulted you. I'm asking you to address this new defense of mistaken identity directly. Dr. Ford, with what degree of certainty do you believe Brett Kavanaugh assaulted you?"
She replied, "100 percent."
Senate Judiciary Committee staff interviewed a man Monday who believed he, and not Kavanaugh, had the encounter with Dr. Christine Blasey Ford in the summer of 1982 that is the basis of her allegation of sexual assault against Kavanaugh, according to a new calendar of events sent by committee staff. He was interviewed as well on Tuesday. On Wednesday, committee investigative staff interviewed another man who believed that he had assaulted Ford, not Kavanaugh.
Last week, a conservative activist tweeted the name of a person Ford may have confused with Kavanaugh. Asked about this individual during the hearing, Ford said she knew him, that he was also a member of the same country club, and asserted that he was not the person who assaulted her. However, he was, Ford said, the person who had introduced her to Kavanaugh.
"CBS This Morning" host Norah O'Donnell reported that the first man was deemed not credible, according to a source close to Kavanaugh. The second man was deemed more credible. He said that he did not want to come forward with his allegations, after being warned that he could face criminal penalties if lying.
On "CBS This Morning" Thursday, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said that one of the men was "crazy as a loon," and that he was not putting stock in either of their stories. However, Fox News has reported that both of these men are credible according to "a source familiar."
Also on Tuesday, the Committee received an anonymous letter sent to California Sen. Kamala Harris, which was postmarked 9/19 and alleged that Judge Kavanaugh and others raped the author in the backseat of a car. However, the letter did not identify place, date, or the identity of the alleged accomplices, and was signed "Jane Doe, Oceanside, CA."
Kavanaugh and Ford are speaking before the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday.
