Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday defended Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh from what he said were “vague” and “unsubstantiated” claims that he committed or attempted sexual assault against two women when he was a teenager.
“The American people know that sexual misconduct is gravely serious,” McConnell, R-Ky., said in a Tuesday floor speech. “They expect this to be treated seriously and addressed promptly. But the American people also insist that vague, unsubstantiated and uncorroborated allegations of 30-plus-year old misconduct where all the supposed witnesses either totally deny it or can’t confirm it is nowhere near the grounds for to nullify someone’s career or destroy their good name.”
McConnell made the remarks the morning after lawyers for one Kavanaugh accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, complained he was dismissive of Ford’s complaint that Kavanaugh attempted to sexually assault her at a party when the two were in high school. In a floor speech Monday, McConnell called the accusations against Kavanaugh a “smear campaign.”
Ford’s accusation was followed Sunday by a New Yorker magazine article featuring second accuser Deborah Ramirez, who said she believes Kavanaugh thrust his unclothed groin in her face during an alcohol-soaked party at Yale when the two were freshmen.
[More: Kavanaugh became ‘aggressive,’ ‘belligerent’ when drinking, says Yale freshman roommate]
In McConnell’s floor speech Tuesday, he named Leyland Keyser, a longtime friend of Ford’s who said she does not recall every hearing about the attempted assault Ford describes.
“In other words, she backs up Judge Kavanaugh’s statement,” McConnell said. “Look, this is America here we’re talking about. We’re supposed to uphold fairness and the presumption of innocence. Everyone deserves better than this. Not just Judge Kavanaugh.”
McConnell repeated a pledge to hold a vote on the nomination on the Senate floor, regardless of the outcome on the Judiciary Commitee, where a vote could happen as soon as Friday.
McConnell has not indicted when the full Senate would vote on Kavanaugh.
Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, told the Washington Examiner the Judiciary Committee is now trying to arrange an interview with Ramirez to hear her allegation against Kavanaugh, which like Ford’s claim, is not backed up by first-hand witnesses.
Democrats want a full FBI investigation into all of the allegations, and have called for a halt to Kavanaugh’s confirmation.
They believe Republicans are rushing the process because they fear what an investigation into Kavanaugh would reveal.
McConnell criticized how Democrats have handled the Ford allegation, which they concealed for weeks before leaking it to the press after the close of the Judiciary Committee’s confirmation hearing.
McConnell said Democrats were unfair to Ford, who wanted to remain anonymous. He also praised Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa., who he said is acting fairly to both the accusers and Kavanaugh.
“The chairman has acted swiftly and transparently in pursuit of truth,” McConnell said. “And he’s treated Dr. Ford with kindness and respect.”
