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***Live Updates*** Brett Kavanaugh, Christine Blasey Ford Testify Before Senate Judiciary Committee

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Senators on the Judiciary Committee on Thursday morning will question Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, the Northern California psychology professor who has accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault when they were teenagers.

Ford will testify first, followed by Kavanaugh. Senators will have five minutes to question Ford and then Kavanaugh. Some Republican Senators are expected to yield their time to Rachel Mitchell, the Arizona prosecutor Senate Republicans hired to help them question Ford. Some Democrats could yield some of their time to Sens. Kamala Harris (D-CA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) to question Kavanaugh.

Stay tuned to Breitbart News for live updates. All time eastern.

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3:11 PM: Kavanaugh says he wrote his statement himself. He points out that all four people she named have denied. Kavanaugh quotes Leland Keyser’s denial. He says he demanded a hearing the very next day to clear his name. He says in the 10 long days, his name and his family’s name have been “totally and permanently destroyed.” He says when this allegation first arose, “I welcomed any type of investigation.” He says he knows that any kind of investigation “will clear me. Listen to the people I know. Listen to the people who’ve known me my whole life…”

“People have been willing to do anything, to make any physical threat to my family, to blow me up and take me down,” he says. “You sowed the wind. For decades to come, I fear the whole country will reap the whirlwind.”

“I was not at the party described by Dr. Ford,” he says. Kavanaugh says the confirmation process has become a “national disgrace” and it has become a “search and destroy” mission instead of the Senate advising and consenting…

He says Democrats could not take him out on the merits and then publicly deployed Ford’s allegations against him against her wishes. He calls it a “calculated” and “orchestrated” political hit job. He talks about all of the “nonsense” that has destroyed his family and his name. He blasts the behavior of Democrats was embarrassing. Mentions that some said he was evil (reference to Booker’s remarks).

“You may defeat me in the final vote but you’ll never get me to quit,” he says.

Kavanaugh says he has never sexually assaulted anyone and says one of his close friends is a woman who was sexually abused and consulted him when she was in her 30s. He says “due process is the foundation of American law” and it means “listening to both sides.”

“Not who I am and not who I was,” he says. “I am innocent of this charge.”

He again says he has never sexually assaulted Dr. Ford or anyone and reiterates that he is not questioning whether Dr. Ford had been sexually assaulted. He says he was 17 years of age during his junior and senior years at Georgetown Prep. He says his friends at Georgetown Prep partied with girls from other Catholic schools and not independent schools like Holton Arms. He says he did not travel in the same social circles as Ford though they may have crossed paths.

He says Dr. Ford’s allegations not only “uncorroborated” but “refuted” by people who she said were present at the party.

Kavanaugh points out he has submitted “detailed calendars” detailing his activities in the summer in question.

3:10 PM: Kavanaugh getting sworn in.

2:40 PM:

2:30 PM:

Reporters not happy with Graham’s answers:

2:27 PM: New York Times criticized for Twitter poll asking whether Ford is credible.

2:25 PM: Graham tells reporters that Democrats “betrayed her trust” and owe Ford an apology.

2:12 PM:

2:07 PM: Ford says Feinstein’s office recommended the Katz firm. Mitchell asks Ford why the people Ford says were at the party do not remember. She says it was not a “remarkable” party for PJ and Leland, who Ford says is dealing with health issues and texted her “sorry” after her lawyer took care of a statement for her. Mitchell asks whether anyone advised her to get a “forensic interview.” Ford says no.

Grassley says three witnesses submitted by Ford have submitted statements denying Ford’s allegations.

2:01 PM: Harris says Ford is not on trial and praises her “courage.” “I believe you,” Harris says. “And I believe many Americans across the country believe you.” She thanks Ford for being a “true patriot” and “bravely” coming forward and being a “profile in courage.” She says Ford has requested an FBI investigation and taken a polygraph test while Kavanaugh has not.

1:55 PM: Sasse:

1:54 PM: Mitchell now asking Ford how she chose her lawyers. Ford says the staff of Feinstein’s office could have suggested some attorneys that she could hire. She asks when Ford first requested an FBI investigation. She says when they first started talking about a hearing. Ford says she would be happy to cooperate with the FBI. Ford’s lawyers say they are representing her pro bono and have no expectations of being paid. Ford says she has not been told of any questions in advance. Mitchell now asks about the person who connected her with Judge/Kavanaugh. Ford says it is the person Ed Whelan said looked liked Kavanaugh but she does not think it is appropriate to talk about him (assuming to protect his privacy). Ford says he was the member of the same country club and she knew his younger brother. Ford says she “went out with him” for a couple of months and there were other members at the country club who were common acquaintances. When Mitchell asks other social interactions with Kavanaugh, Ford says there were 4-5 parties that she attended that were also attended by Kavanaugh. Nothing inappropriate happened at those parties, she says.

1:48 PM: Booker (D-NJ) now has his five minutes. She says Ford’s life has been “upended” and commends her for sacrificing much to do her “civic duty.” Booker, who admitted to groping a classmate in high school, talks about a “dark culture” in American society where women are sexually assaulted. He says how the country deals with “survivors” is “unacceptable.” Booker praises Sen. Flake (R-AZ) for his Wed. floor speech. Booker wants to submit/introduce a letter from Mormon women supporting Ford.

1:45 PM: After Hirono speaks about re-victimization, Ford’s lawyers tell Mitchell that they have paid for the polygraph. Ford claims she has no political motive.  Mitchell asks if the cost of the polygraph will be passed on to her. Ford says she is aware of several “Go Fund Me” sites for her security detail but she does not know how to collect the money or distribute it. Mitchell now questioning Ford about her letter to Feinstein and asks whether someone speaking on her behalf spoke to anyone in Congress about her allegations re: the July 30th letter. She says she personally did not speak to anyone but is not sure if anyone else spoke about the letter to someone in Congress. Ford says she did not provide the letter to anyone else and does not know how the letter became public/was leaked. Mitchell asks if Ford reached out to the Post after the letter was leaked. Ford says she reached out to the Post (they were also continually reaching out to her) and she agreed to do a sit down after reporters were showing up at her home and workplace.

1:30 PM: Graham:

1:25 PM:

1:15 PM:

1:05 PM:

12:50 PM:

12:42 PM: Grassley says Committee will recess for 30 minutes for lunch.

12:37 PM: Ford says she felt like she had to tell her whole life’s story during the polygraph test. Ford is asked whether anyone advised her on the choice of the person who conducted the polygraph test. Ford says she does not know who paid for the polygraph. She also says she took the polygraph test not at “Jerry”‘s office but near BWI airport because she had to take a flight from BWI to Manchester, NH, even though she is so afraid to fly that she almost supposedly could not make the hearing. Ford says her primary memory of polygraph test was crying a lot.

12:31 PM: Blumenthal (D-CT) thanks Ford for “inspiring” and “enlightening” America.

12:28 PM: Mitchell asks whether Ford spoke to any other person besides lawyers about the allegations during the period of time she was staying with her parents in Delaware (July 30 to August 7). Ford says she did not even speak to her parents about the allegations.

12:25 PM: Mitchell asks whether Ford talked to any Republican about her allegations. She says she did not. Mitchell asks whether it was communicated to her whether Grassley’s staff offered to fly out to California. Ford’s lawyers immediately jump in and object to the simple question. But Feinstein insisted this is not a trial:

Ford claims she was not clear what the offer was and would have happily hosted Grassley’s staff.

12:20 PM: After Ford describes her conversations with Rep. Eshoo (D-CA), Coons (D-DE) thanks Ford for testifying. The Palo Alto psychology professor  again insists she didn’t know how to get information to Congressmen when there was a short list of candidates. Not a clue. Ford says she was able to pull herself together after the first few years of undergrad. She says she still experienced relationship challenges because of the incident. Ford says the impact is worse when someone is younger and has less coping skills. Ford says she was experiencing the “fight or flight” mode and “lucky events that occurred” that helped her get out of the event.

12:14 PM: Mitchell wants to shift gears and discuss the last seven months. She asks if Ford spoke to any member of Congress before July about her allegations. Ford says, “no.” When asked why she contacted the Post on July 6, Ford says she was “panicking” and her beach friends who did not know anything about the process gave her advice to call newspapers or her congresswoman.

12:12 PM: Grassley mentions that the committee’s staff was willing to question Ford “anytime, anywhere.” Ford said being questioned in California was “unrealistic.” Did her lawyers not inform her of the accommodations Grassley and his staff were offering to make it as easy as possible for her?

12:10 PM: Klobuchar asks Ford what she does not forget. She cites the living room, stairwell, bed to the right of the room, the laughter, the uproarious laughter, and the multiple attempts to escape.

12:01 PM: Ford does not remember whether she showed a Post reporter her therapist’s notes. Mitchell asks whether there are other things that have happened that have contributed to her anxiety and PTSD. Ford says “multifactorial” but her experience was “predictive” of symptoms. Ford also cites “biological predispositions” that she cannot rule out. When asked about possible environmental factors, Ford says “nothing that I can think of” and nothing “as striking as that event.” Mitchell asks Ford how she got to Washington. Ford responds: “In an airplane.” Ford says she was hoping they would come to her but realized it was “unrealistic” even though Grassley’s staff offered to send staff to California. Ford says she worked up the “gumption” to fly to D.C. Ford says she flies once a year to visit her family to Delaware and flies frequently for work and hobbies. Ford says she has been to places like Hawaii and Costa Rica by airplane. Ford’s team had insisted that she was too afraid to fly to have her testify before Thursday.

11:53 AM: Whitehouse (D-RI) says a “sincere and thorough investigation” is critical and may be the “most basic thing we owe” the witness coming forward. Whitehouse says Ford has met all the standards of “preliminary credibility” with her opening statements.

11:47 AM: Mitchell has a blow-ups of maps of the “beltway area.” Harris interrupts to say Democrats do not have the documents Mitchell is presenting. Ford says the house in question was somewhere between her parent’s home and the country club. Ford says nobody has come forward to say that that person was the one who drove her home. Ford says she did not drive to or from that party because she didn’t have her license yet. Ford says she is not sure whether the Washington Post reporter saw the therapy reports–she doesn’t remember whether she gave her the notes or whether she summarized the report. Her counsel, she says, saw the report. Mitchell now going over how many people were present at the party before her five minutes are up. Whitehouse now questioning.

11: 42 AM: Fox News’s Brit Hume:

11:39 AM: David Axelrod:

11:35 AM: Fox’s Chris Wallace:

11:27 AM: Committee will take a 15-minute break.

11:26 AM: Ford says Judge’s face was “white” and “very uncomfortable” saying “hello” back when she said hello to him when she saw him arranging shopping carts at Safeway about six to eight weeks after the incident.

11:23 AM: Durbin (D-IL) now has five minutes. He says Judge should be subpoenaed. Judge says a polished liar can create a seamless story as opposed to a sexual assault survivor who is traumatized. Durbin asks Ford to address reports of two men who say they might have assaulted Ford instead of Kavanaugh. Durbin asks how sure Ford is that Kavanaugh assaulted her. Ford says, “100%.”

11:17 AM: Ford says she has spoken with Leland since the party. Mitchell asks Ford if she has told her everything she has remembered. Ford says she believes so. Mitchell asks whether music was at some point turned down, and Ford tell her she heard conversations downstairs as she was leaving the house.

11:10 AM: Sen. Leahy (D-VT) says “bravery is contagious” and Ford’s story is going to have a “lasting, positive impact.” Leahy blasts Kavanaugh allies for floating the kavanaugh look-alike theory. Ford says the look-alike was the person who introduced her to Messrs. Kavanaugh/Judge. Ford says she would not mistake Kavanaugh/Judge. Ford says “indelible in the hippocampus” is Kavanaugh’s/Judge’s laughter and their having fun at her expense. She says she was “underneath one of them” while the two of them laughed.

11:08 AM: Mitchell asks Ford if she had anything to drink or was on any sort of medication before the gathering in question. Ford says she expected Mark Judge and Leland would be at the gathering. She dose not recall whether she expected Kavanaugh to be at the gathering. Mitchell asks what the atmosphere was like at the gathering before she walked up the stairs. She says Kavanaugh and Judge were “inebriated.” Ford says it was a “gathering” and “not really a party.” She said she assumed that it was going to lead to party later on–she calls it a “pre-gathering” and says it was not loud in the living room.

11:04 AM: Ford cites “basic memory functions” when asked how she is sure that it was Kavanaugh that attacked her. She says this is “absolutely not” a case of mistaken identity. She talks about norepinephrine and epinephrine locking in memories. Ford also says Mark Judge was an employee at a Safeway when they crossed paths after alleged incident.

11:02 AM: Ford talks about anxiety/PTSD after alleged sexual assault. She says she was “calculating” whether to come forward and did not want to be “annihilated” if Kavanaugh was going to get confirmed regardless. Ford talks about reporters posing as students and how she hosts Google interns at her home.

10:59 AM: Grassley interrupts Mitchell because her initial five minutes are up. He now lets Feinstein question Ford. Awkward.

10:54 AM: Mitchell says the first thing that struck her was that Ford was “terrified.” Ford says she misused the word “bystander” as an adjective when referring to “PJ”–Ford says he was “tall” and a “very nice person” who was “downstairs.” She’d like to take that word out if possible.

10:53 AM: Ford says she doesn’t need a break right now since she has her coffee.

10:51 AM: Ford says she is no one’s “pawn” and is an “independent person.” She says she hopes to engage with each Committee member.

10:50 AM: Fox News’s Chris Wallace:

10:47 AM:

10:46 AM:

10:45 AM:

10: 40 AM:

10:35 AM: Ford says she anticipates needing some caffeine after her opening statement. Ford now reading her opening statement.

10:33 AM: Grassley swears in Ford.

10:32 AM: Grassley accuses Feinstein of bringing up “unsubstantiated allegations” against Kavanaugh.

10:31 AM: Feinstein’s guest:

10:28 AM: Feinstein says the FBI should investigation Ford’s, Ramirez’s, and Swetnick’s allegations. She says they are “troubling” but Republicans want to blindly push forward. Feinstein trying to establish that Kavanaugh has not been truthful about his drinking to later make the case that he is not credible about other matters. Feinstein would not have been able to go down this line had Kavanaugh not done a Monday Fox News interview. On Kavanaugh, Feinstein asks, “Is this the best we can do?”

10:26 AM: Sen. Kamala Harris’s sister weighs in:

10:25: Sen. Klobuchar (D-MN) tweets from hearing:

10:19 AM: Feinstein tries to defend not saying anything about Ford’s letter until, in Grassley’s words, the 11th hour. Feinstein tries to score political points against Grassley by saying he did not properly introduce Ford. Grassley says he was going to do so after Feinstein’s introductory remarks.

Feinstein now going over Ford’s resume and introducing her. Feinstein then says “sexual violence is a serious problem and one that largely goes unseen.” She says she received a letter from a 60-year-old constituent who survived an attempted rape during her teenage years. Feinstein says it is “important to remember these realities as we hear from Dr. Ford…” She says “our institutions have not progressed” even as young women are saying “no more” in the #MeToo era. Feinstein says women are often “re-victimized” in the process. Feinstein now talking about Anita Hill and how she was treated badly and her credibility questioned. Feinstein says Mark Judge should be subpoenaed and what she finds most “inexcusable” is “this rush to judgment.”

10:15 AM: Grassley references Biden’s comments about FBI investigations:

10:05 AM: Grassley gavels in the hearing. He thanks Ford and Kavanaugh for volunteering to testify. He says both Ford and Kavanaugh have been through a “terrible couple of weeks.” He notes that their families have received “vile threats” that are “unacceptable.” He apologies for the way both have been treated. Grassley says allegations of sexual assault did not come up during previous FBI background checks on Kavanaugh. Grassley mentions that he offered to send staff to California for Ford. He says Democrats pushed for FBI investigations to further obstruct.

9:53 AM:

9:48 AM:

9:47 AM:

9:46 AM:

9:45 AM:

9:40 AM:

9:30 AM:

Kellyanne:

The Associated Press, ladies and gentlemen:

Christine Blasey Ford’s prepared opening statement: 

Chairman Grassley, Ranking Member Feinstein, Members of the Committee. My name is Christine Blasey Ford. I am a Professor of Psychology at Palo Alto University and a Research Psychologist at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

I was an undergraduate at the University of North Carolina and earned my degree in Experimental Psychology in 1988. I received a Master’s degree in 1991 in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University. In 1996, I received a PhD in Educational Psychology from the University of Southern California. I earned a Master’s degree in Epidemiology from the Stanford University School of Medicine in 2009.

I have been married to Russell Ford since 2002 and we have two children.

I am here today not because I want to be. I am terrified. I am here because I believe it is my civic duty to tell you what happened to me while Brett Kavanaugh and I were in high school. I have described the events publicly before. I summarized them in my letter to Ranking Member Feinstein, and again in my letter to Chairman Grassley. I understand and appreciate the importance of your hearing from me directly about what happened to me and the impact it has had on my life and on my family.

I grew up in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. I attended the Holton-Arms School in Bethesda, Maryland, from 1980 to 1984. Holton-Arms is an all-girls school that opened in 1901. During my time at the school, girls at Holton-Arms frequently met and became friendly with boys from all-boys schools in the area, including Landon School, Georgetown Prep, Gonzaga High School, country clubs, and other places where kids and their families socialized. This is how I met Brett Kavanaugh, the boy who sexually assaulted me.

In my freshman and sophomore school years, when I was 14 and 15 years old, my group of friends intersected with Brett and his friends for a short period of time. I had been friendly with a classmate of Brett’s for a short time during my freshman year, and it was through that connection that I attended a number of parties that Brett also attended. We did not know each other well, but I knew him and he knew me. In the summer of 1982, like most summers, I spent almost every day at the Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, Maryland swimming and practicing diving.

One evening that summer, after a day of swimming at the club, I attended a small gathering at a house in the Chevy Chase/Bethesda area. There were four boys I remember being there: Brett Kavanaugh, Mark Judge, P.J. Smyth, and one other boy whose name I cannot recall. I remember my friend Leland Ingham attending. I do not remember all of the details of how that gathering came together, but like many that summer, it was almost surely a spur of the moment gathering. I truly wish I could provide detailed answers to all of the questions that have been and will be asked about how I got to the party, where it took place, and so forth. I don’t have all the answers, and I don’t remember as much as I would like to. But the details about that night that bring me here today are ones I will never forget. They have been seared into my memory and have haunted me episodically as an adult.

When I got to the small gathering, people were drinking beer in a small living room on the first floor of the house. I drank one beer that evening. Brett and Mark were visibly drunk. Early in the evening, I went up a narrow set of stairs leading from the living room to a second floor to use the bathroom. When I got to the top of the stairs, I was pushed from behind into a bedroom. I couldn’t see who pushed me. Brett and Mark came into the bedroom and locked the door behind them. There was music already playing in the bedroom. It was turned up louder by either Brett or Mark once we were in the room. I was pushed onto the bed and Brett got on top of me. He began running his hands over my body and grinding his hips into me. I yelled, hoping someone downstairs might hear me, and tried to get away from him, but his weight was heavy. Brett groped me and tried to take off my clothes. He had a hard time because he was so drunk, and because I was wearing a one-piece bathing suit under my clothes. I believed he was going to rape me. I tried to yell for help. When I did, Brett put his hand over my mouth to stop me from screaming. This was what terrified me the most, and has had the most lasting impact on my life. It was hard for me to breathe, and I thought that Brett was accidentally going to kill me. Both Brett and Mark were drunkenly laughing during the attack. They both seemed to be having a good time. Mark was urging Brett on, although at times he told Brett to stop. A couple of times I made eye contact with Mark and thought he might try to help me, but he did not.

During this assault, Mark came over and jumped on the bed twice while Brett was on top of me. The last time he did this, we toppled over and Brett was no longer on top of me. I was able to get up and run out of the room. Directly across from the bedroom was a small bathroom. I ran inside the bathroom and locked the door. I heard Brett and Mark leave the bedroom laughing and loudly walk down the narrow stairs, pin-balling off the walls on the way down. I waited and when I did not hear them come back up the stairs, I left the bathroom, ran down the stairs, through the living room, and left the house. I remember being on the street and feeling an enormous sense of relief that I had escaped from the house and that Brett and Mark were not coming after me.

Brett’s assault on me drastically altered my life. For a very long time, I was too afraid and ashamed to tell anyone the details. I did not want to tell my parents that I, at age 15, was in a house without any parents present, drinking beer with boys. I tried to convince myself that because Brett did not rape me, I should be able to move on and just pretend that it had never happened. Over the years, I told very few friends that I had this traumatic experience. I told my husband before we were married that I had experienced a sexual assault. I had never told the details to anyone until May 2012, during a couples counseling session. The reason this came up in counseling is that my husband and I had completed an extensive remodel of our home, and I insisted on a second front door, an idea that he and others disagreed with and could not understand. In explaining why I wanted to have a second front door, I described the assault in detail. I recall saying that the boy who assaulted me could someday be on the U.S. Supreme Court and spoke a bit about his background. My husband recalls that I named my attacker as Brett Kavanaugh.

After that May 2012 therapy session, I did my best to suppress memories of the assault because recounting the details caused me to relive the experience, and caused panic attacks and anxiety. Occasionally I would discuss the assault in individual therapy, but talking about it caused me to relive the trauma, so I tried not to think about it or discuss it. But over the years, I went through periods where I thought about Brett’s attack. I confided in some close friends that I had an experience with sexual assault. Occasionally I stated that my assailant was a prominent lawyer or judge but I did not use his name. I do not recall each person I spoke to about Brett’s assault, and some friends have reminded me of these conversations since the publication of The Washington Post story on September 16, 2018. But until July 2018, I had never named Mr. Kavanaugh as my attacker outside of therapy.

This all changed in early July 2018. I saw press reports stating that Brett Kavanaugh was on the “short list” of potential Supreme Court nominees. I thought it was my civic duty to relay the information I had about Mr. Kavanaugh’s conduct so that those considering his potential nomination would know about the assault.

On July 6, 2018, I had a sense of urgency to relay the information to the Senate and the President as soon as possible before a nominee was selected. I called my congressional representative and let her receptionist know that someone on the President’s shortlist had attacked me. I also sent a message to The Washington Post’s confidential tip line. I did not use my name, but I provided the names of Brett Kavanaugh and Mark Judge. I stated that Mr. Kavanaugh had assaulted me in the 1980s in Maryland. This was an extremely hard thing for me to do, but I felt I couldn’t NOT do it. Over the next two days, I told a couple of close friends on the beach in California that Mr.Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted me. I was conflicted about whether to speak out.

On July 9, 2018, I received a call from the office of Congresswoman Anna Eshoo after Mr. Kavanaugh had become the nominee. I met with her staff on July 11 and with her on July 13, describing the assault and discussing my fear about coming forward. Later, we discussed the possibility of sending a letter to Ranking Member Feinstein, who is one of my state’s Senators, describing what occurred. My understanding is that Representative Eshoo’s office delivered a copy of my letter to Senator Feinstein’s office on July 30, 2018. The letter included my name, but requested that the letter be kept confidential.

My hope was that providing the information confidentially would be sufficient to allow the Senate to consider Mr. Kavanaugh’s serious misconduct without having to make myself, my family, or anyone’s family vulnerable to the personal attacks and invasions of privacy we have faced since my name became public. In a letter on August 31, 2018, Senator Feinstein wrote that she would not share the letter without my consent. I greatly appreciated this commitment. All sexual assault victims should be able to decide for themselves whether their private experience is made public.

As the hearing date got closer, I struggled with a terrible choice: Do I share the facts with the Senate and put myself and my family in the public spotlight? Or do I preserve our privacy and allow the Senate to make its decision on Mr. Kavanaugh’s nomination without knowing the full truth about his past behavior?

I agonized daily with this decision throughout August and early September 2018. The sense of duty that motivated me to reach out confidentially to The Washington Post, Representative Eshoo’s office, and Senator Feinstein’s office was always there, but my fears of the consequences of speaking out started to increase.

During August 2018, the press reported that Mr. Kavanaugh’s confirmation was virtually certain. His allies painted him as a champion of women’s rights and empowerment. I believed that if I came forward, my voice would be drowned out by a chorus of powerful supporters. By the time of the confirmation hearings, I had resigned myself to remaining quiet and letting the Committee and the Senate make their decision without knowing what Mr. Kavanaugh had done to me.

Once the press started reporting on the existence of the letter I had sent to Senator Feinstein, I faced mounting pressure. Reporters appeared at my home and at my job demanding information about this letter, including in the presence of my graduate students. They called my boss and co- workers and left me many messages, making it clear that my name would inevitably be released to the media. I decided to speak out publicly to a journalist who had responded to the tip I had sent to The Washington Post and who had gained my trust. It was important to me to describe the details of the assault in my own words.

Since September 16, the date of The Washington Post story, I have experienced an outpouring of support from people in every state of this country. Thousands of people who have had their lives dramatically altered by sexual violence have reached out to share their own experiences with me and have thanked me for coming forward. We have received tremendous support from friends and our community.

At the same time, my greatest fears have been realized — and the reality has been far worse than what I expected. My family and I have been the target of constant harassment and death threats. I have been called the most vile and hateful names imaginable. These messages, while far fewer than the expressions of support, have been terrifying to receive and have rocked me to my core. People have posted my personal information on the internet. This has resulted in additional emails, calls, and threats. My family and I were forced to move out of our home. Since September 16, my family and I have been living in various secure locales, with guards. This past Tuesday evening, my work email account was hacked and messages were sent out supposedly recanting my description of the sexual assault.

Apart from the assault itself, these last couple of weeks have been the hardest of my life. I have had to relive my trauma in front of the entire world, and have seen my life picked apart by people on television, in the media, and in this body who have never met me or spoken with me. I have been accused of acting out of partisan political motives. Those who say that do not know me. I am a fiercely independent person and I am no one’s pawn. My motivation in coming forward was to provide the facts about how Mr. Kavanaugh’s actions have damaged my life, so that you can take that into serious consideration as you make your decision about how to proceed. It is not my responsibility to determine whether Mr. Kavanaugh deserves to sit on the Supreme Court. My responsibility is to tell the truth.

I understand that the Majority has hired a professional prosecutor to ask me some questions, and I am committed to doing my very best to answer them. At the same time, because the Committee Members will be judging my credibility, I hope to be able to engage directly with each of you.

At this point, I will do my best to answer your questions.

Brett Kavanaugh’s prepared opening statement:

Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Feinstein, and Members of the Committee: Eleven days ago, Dr. Ford publicly accused me of committing a serious wrong more than 36 years ago when we were both in high school. I denied the allegation immediately, unequivocally, and categorically. The next day, I told this Committee that I wanted to testify as soon as possible, under oath, to clear my name.

Over the past few days, other false and uncorroborated accusations have been aired. There has been a frenzy to come up with something—anything, no matter how far-fetched or odious—that will block a vote on my nomination. These are last-minute smears, pure and simple. They debase our public discourse. And the consequences extend beyond any one nomination. Such grotesque and obvious character assassination—if allowed to succeed—will dissuade competent and good people of all political persuasions from serving our country.

As I told this Committee the last time I appeared before you, a federal judge must be independent, not swayed by public or political pressure. That is the kind of judge I am and will always be. I will not be intimidated into withdrawing from this process. This effort to destroy my good name will not drive me out. The vile threats of violence against my family will not drive me out. I am here this morning to answer these allegations and to tell the truth. And the truth is that I have never sexually assaulted anyone—not in high school, not in college, not ever.

Sexual assault is horrific. It is morally wrong. It is illegal. It is contrary to my religious faith. And it contradicts the core promise of this Nation that all people are created equal and entitled to be treated with dignity and respect. Allegations of sexual assault must be taken seriously. Those who make allegations deserve to be heard. The subject of allegations also deserves to be heard. Due process is a foundation of the American rule of law.

Dr. Ford’s allegation dates back more than 36 years, to a party that she says occurred during our time in high school. I spent most of my time in high school focused on academics, sports, church, and service. But I was not perfect in those days, just as I am not perfect today. I drank beer with my friends, usually on weekends. Sometimes I had too many. In retrospect, I said and did things in high school that make me cringe now. But that’s not why we are here today. What I’ve been accused of is far more serious than juvenile misbehavior. I never did anything remotely resembling what Dr. Ford describes.

The allegation of misconduct is completely inconsistent with the rest of my life. The record of my life, from my days in grade school through the present day, shows that I have always promoted the equality and dignity of women.

I categorically and unequivocally deny the allegation against me by Dr. Ford. I never had any sexual or physical encounter of any kind with Dr. Ford. I am not questioning that Dr. Ford may have been sexually assaulted by some person in some place at some time. But I have never done that to her or to anyone. I am innocent of this charge.

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