Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway stood by Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh on Monday, but insisted that his accuser Christine Blasey Ford should be heard.
“This woman should not be insulted and she should not be ignored,” Mrs. Conway said during an interview on “Fox & Friends.”
Mrs. Conway said the Republicans are taking a “reasonable approach” in dealing with the allegations.
Mr. Kavanaugh also confirmed Monday he would return to Congress in order to talk about the allegations.
“I am willing to talk to the Senate Judiciary Committee in any way the Committee deems appropriate to refute this false allegation, from 36 years ago and defend my integrity,” he said in a statement.
Mr. Kavanaugh also noted that “because this never happened” he had no idea Ms. Ford was the one to accuse him until she revealed herself in The Washington Post.
“This is a completely false allegation. I have never done anything like what the accuser describes — to her or to anyone,” Mr. Kavanaugh said.
Mrs. Conway explained that the several senators she spoke with, including Sen. Lindsay Graham, were in favor of having both Ms. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh give sworn testimonies about the accusations. However, she noted that the new testimony should not delay the vote.
Sen. Jeff Flake has come out against holding a vote until Ms. Ford testifies before Congress.
“If they push forward without any attempt with hearing what she’s had to say, I’m not comfortable voting yes,” Mr. Flake told Politico, “We need to hear from her. And I don’t think I’m alone in this.”
Mr. Graham stood by a Senate Judiciary Committee statement that scrutinized the timing of these allegations but said the Senate should hear Ms. Ford’s claims in person.
“If Ms. Ford wishes to provide information to the committee, I would gladly listen to what she has to say and compare that against all other information we have received about Judge Kavanaugh,” Mr. Graham said in a statement.
“If the committee is to hear from Ms. Ford, it should be done immediately so the process can continue as scheduled,” he said.
Mrs. Conway also insisted that the allegations be “weighed against what we already know, which is that Judge Kavanaugh is a man of character and integrity, who has been through six FBI vettings.”
As one of the most prominent women in the Trump administration, Mrs. Conway touted the women who back Judge Kavanaugh despite the sexual assault accusations. When the reports surfaced Friday, 65 women signed a letter in support of the Supreme Court nominee.
“In particular, he has always treated women with decency and respect. That was true when he was in high school, and it has remained true to this day,” the letter read.
Ms. Ford told The Washington Post that during a high-school party Judge Kavanaugh and another boy, Mark Judge, “corralled” her into a bedroom where the future Supreme Court nominee climbed on top of her and covered her mouth.
“She clearly considers this an attempted rape. She believes that if it were not for the severe intoxication of Brett Kavanaugh, she would’ve been raped,” her lawyer Debra Katz said on CNN’s “New Day.”
Judge Kavanaugh and the White House both stand by the denials they made when the allegations surfaced.
“On Friday, Judge Kavanaugh ’categorically and unequivocally’ denied this allegation. This has not changed. Judge Kavanaugh and the White House both stand by that statement,” White House spokesperson Kerri Kupec said in a statement Monday.
• Gabriella Muñoz can be reached at gmunoz@washingtontimes.com.
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