Senate Judicial Committee Chairmen Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) said Wednesday that the committee is following leads provided in Christine Blasey Ford’s allegations against Judge Brett Kavanaugh and from media reports on the matter.
Grassley posted a four-tweet-long message on social media laying out what the committee was doing to investigate and accommodate the so-far uncorroborated claims Ford made.
“Cmte investigators are following up on the leads from Dr. Ford’s allegations & news stories No other OUTSIDE investigation is necessary for the Cmte to do its investigation. Don’t know why Dems are refusing to cooperate in the cmte’s investigation I hope Dems will join me,” read the final post in the chain.
Cmte investigators are following up on the leads from Dr. Ford’s allegations & news stories No other OUTSIDE investigation is necessary for the Cmte to do its investigation. Don’t know why Dems are refusing to cooperate in the cmte’s investigation I hope Dems will join me 4/4
— Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) September 19, 2018
Grassley also said that while Dr. Ford has refused to testify in front of the committee as requested, he is willing to make any accommodations necessary to hear her story.
“We’re going to continue to try to hear from Dr. Ford in any format she’s comfortable w open session/closed session/private staff interviews/public staff interviews bc her information is very important. We’ve provided an opportunity for her to put her story fwd on Monday,” he posted to Twitter.
We’re going to continue to try to hear from Dr. Ford in any format she's comfortable w open session/closed session/private staff interviews/public staff interviews bc her information is very important. We’ve provided an opportunity for her to put her story fwd on Monday 2/4
— Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) September 19, 2018
The chairman then pointed out that Democrats sat on Ford’s claims for weeks instead of rushing them to the FBI and that the FBI has already stated that it has completed its part in the investigation.
“If Senate Dems think they need the FBI to investigate, why didn’t they alert the FBI on July 30?” Grassley asked. “As soon as I learned of the allegations from the Washington Post on Sunday I moved swiftly to follow up on Dr. Ford’s allegations As the FBI has said its role here is complete.”
If Senate Dems think they need the FBI to investigate, why didn’t they alert the FBI on July 30? As soon as I learned of the allegations from the Washington Post on Sunday I moved swiftly to follow up on Dr. Ford’s allegations As the FBI has said its role here is complete 3/4
— Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) September 19, 2018
Despite the fact that Ford can’t recount specific details of the event, like who’s house they were in, how she got there or how she got home and the fact that her claim of taking a lie detector test has now also been challenged, Grassley said he believes his committee should hear from her.
“Dr. Ford shouldn’t be threatened or insulted & she deserves to be heard,” he said. “I expect my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to be respectful & treat this situation with the sensitivity it deserves.”
Dr. Ford shouldn’t be threatened or insulted & she deserves to be heard. I expect my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to be respectful & treat this situation with the sensitivity it deserves 1/4
— Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) September 19, 2018
On Tuesday, Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC) raised concerns about the lie detector test, but Ford’s attorney, Debra Katz, has refused to answer Senator Lindsay Graham’s questions about who paid for that test and how it was performed. Lie detectors can be beaten by people who have come to believe false stories are true, sociopaths and liars who lack a conscience, according to a Fox News report.
Ford scrubbed her entire social media presence just prior to making the allegations against Kavanaugh and has struggled to recall important details about the event.
Other than the detail-sparse account of the alleged attack, the information that Ford included in her allegations could be gleaned be going through his high school yearbook and by reading the memoir of his high school friend, Mark Judge.
Now, Ford is refusing to testify unless the FBI investigates, which it said it cannot because no federal crime has been alleged. Ford has no evidence, no witnesses, a crumbling story and may be on the way to the wrong end of a defamation suit and monetary damages.
