California Rep. Anna Eshoo, who was the first lawmaker approached with the allegations against Judge Brett Kavanaugh, detailed on Friday how Christine Blasey Ford’s letter reached Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
Ms. Eshoo explained that Ms. Blasey Ford approached her in the summer with the accusation that Judge Kavanaugh assaulted her at a party while they were both in high school.
“I spent about an hour and a half with her, she shared her story with me. I think it was wrenching for her to have to go through it. She answered many, many questions that I posed at the end of our meeting. I told her I believed her,” Ms. Eshoo said in an interview with KCBS radio.
The California congresswoman said her constituent “wished me to move this to another place,” so she told Ms. Feinstein because she was the ranking member on the Senate Judiciary committee.
It was after that discussion between the California lawmakers that Ms. Feinstein requested a letter from Ms. Blasey Ford, which Ms. Eshoo said her office made sure got to the senator on July 30.
“She knew she wanted the information to get into the appropriate hands,” Ms. Eshoo said of Ms. Blasey Ford, and lamented that her privacy was lost making the allegations.
Sen. Chuck Grassley said on Wednesday that Ms. Feinstein still has not released the unredacted letter with details about Ms. Ford’s allegations.
“My staff has made repeated requests for this document, which has become a significant piece of evidence in Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation process, but your staff has so far refused to provide a copy of the letter,” Mr. Grassley wrote in a letter to Ms. Feinstein.
“The only version we have of this letter is a redacted version contained in the supplemental FBI background investigation file that only senators and a handful of very select staff are authorized to read.”
• Gabriella Muñoz can be reached at gmunoz@washingtontimes.com.
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