Brett Kavanaugh has denied sexual misconduct allegations made by a second woman.
The Supreme Court nominee rejected claims by Deborah Ramirez, 53, that he ‘thrust his penis in her face and caused her to touch it without her consent’ during a dorm party at Yale University in the 1980s.
The alleged incident, which is said to have taken place during the 1983-84 academic year, was first reported on Sunday by The New Yorker.
She told the magazine she only came forward now because she had been drinking during the evening and admits there are ‘gaps in her memory’ when recollecting the story.
Kavanaugh denied the latest allegations against, slammed them as a ‘smear’ and said he looks forward to be able to clear his ‘good name’ when he testifies to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday.
He said in a statement: ‘This alleged event from 35 years ago did not happen,’ the judge wrote in a statement.
‘The people who knew me then know that this did not happen, and have said so. This is a smear, plain and simple.
‘I look forward to testifying on Thursday about the truth, and defending my good name – and the reputation for character and integrity I have spent a lifetime building – against these last-minute allegations.’
According to The New Yorker, the offices of at least four Democratic senators received word of the allegations and at least two of them have begun investigating.
Senior Republicans also learned of the new allegations last week.
Republicans renewed calls to accelerate the vote on Kavanaugh’s confirmation when they were told about this allegation last week.
‘This is another serious, credible, and disturbing allegation against Brett Kavanagh,’ said Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii.
‘It should be fully investigated.’
President Donald Trump was notified of the allegations before the story went public, according to NBC News.
Trump has not changed his views on Kavanaugh and still supports him.
The White House also released a statement in response to The New Yorker story.
‘This 35-year-old, uncorroborated claim is the latest in a coordinated smear campaign by the Democrats designed to tear down a good man,’ said White House spokesperson Kerri Kupec.
‘This claim is denied by all who were said to be present and is wholly inconsistent with what many women and men who knew Judge Kavanaugh at the time in college say.
‘The White House stands firmly behind Judge Kavanaugh.’
The White House is distributing a set of talking points aimed at discrediting Ramirez, according to political reporter Gabe Fleisher.
The sheet notes that Ramirez acknowledged to The New Yorker that there were ‘significant gaps in her memories of the evening.’
The White House also notes that Ramirez ‘was reluctant to characterize Kavanaugh’s role in the alleged incident with certainty.’
It was only after ‘six days of carefully assessing her memories and consulting with her attorney’ – who the White House noted was ‘provided by the Democrats’ – did she feel ‘confident enough of her recollections.’
Ramirez told The New Yorker that she attended the New Haven, Connecticut-based Ivy League school where she studied studied sociology and psychology.
After graduating from college, she says she worked for an organization aimed at helping victims of domestic violence.
Ramirez acknowledged to The New Yorker that she hesitated to come forward. She said she, too, had been drinking during the alleged incident.
She claims the incident took place during her and Kavanaugh’s freshman year at Yale.
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Source: Daily Mail
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