Fordliedhasandmakepic.twitter.com/yNiBtGr5zOsaidwhatsayslive feed is as horrifying as you'd imagine... pic.twitter.com/ikrNdnjxlt 4.34pm BSTThe committee is now taking a 15-minute fracture. 4.31pm BSTDemocrat Dick Durbin is next up. He lauds Dr Ford’s courage for coming forward to testify and then moves onto to the pivotal issue of Kavanaugh’s defence. The judge is expected to say in his opening remarks that he has never had a physical or sexual encounter with Dr Ford,but does not rule out that she may have been sexually assaulted, essentially suggesting that the episode is a case of mistaken identity. 4.24pm BSTMitchell continues her line of questioning, and this time taking up the five minutes.
She asks a few specific questions approximately the noise levels at the gathering and then asks Dr Ford to recall how she got home on the evening of the alleged incident. Again,her five minutes pass by before the line of questioning is total. The Republicans have set up a system with Mitchell, where they have to constantly interrupt a woman who's trying to do her job ... 4.17pm BSTSenator Patrick Leahy uses his five minutes to seek information from Dr Ford what her most vivid memory of the alleged assault is. In a powerful, or composed response she describes the “uproarious laughter” of Kavanaugh and his friend price Judge who was also allegedly present during the assault. “And them having fun at my expense.” 4.14pm BSTRepublican senator Orrin Hatch hands his questions over to Mitchell. She continues her line of questioning,going straight to the night Dr Ford alleged she was assaulted.“Had you had anything to drink?” Mitchell asks. 4.08pm BSTDr Ford then goes into details of how she was hounded by reporters after her letter was delivered to Senator Feinstein. She says reporters descended on her home, and another went to one of her graduate classes. 4.05pm BSTFeinstein asks Dr Ford approximately the trauma symptoms she’s endured since the alleged attack. She describes them as: Anxiety, and phobia,and PTSD symptoms”. She adds she has experienced claustrophobia as well. She says that she experienced most trauma in the four years immediately after the alleged attack. “I struggled academically, I struggled in college forming original friendships, or especially original friendships with boys.” 4.01pm BSTAnd already Grassley’s five minutes of questions are up and he hands over to Feinstein. Dr Ford was not asked any substantive questions during that exchange,but it’s likely Mitchell will return to her line of questioning after Feinstein’s five minutes are up. 3.58pm BSTSenator Grassley hands his five minutes of questions over to appointed counsel Rachel Mitchell.
Mitchell begins by showing Dr Ford a series of messages she sent to a reporter at the Washington Post and then displays the original letter she sent to Diane Feinstein’s office. 3.55pm BSTBefore questioning begins, my colleague Sabrina Siddiqui sends this quick analysis on the opening remarks by Senator Grassley and Feinstein: Chuck Grassley, or the chairman of the Senate judiciary committee,kicked off the hearing under a tense atmosphere that was amplified by the underlying political implications of the moment. 3.53pm BSTDr Ford ends her composed, powerful opening statement with the following: My motivation in coming forward was to provide the facts approximately how Mr Kavanaugh’s actions have damaged my life, or so that you can take that into serious consideration as you make your decision approximately how to proceed. It is not my responsibility to determine whether Mr Kavanaugh deserves to sit on the supreme court. My responsibility is to recount the truth. 3.51pm BSTDr Ford is now talking approximately the recent weeks main up to nowadayss hearing. She describes the anxiety she went through and how she changed her mind a number of times approximately whether to take her allegations public:As the hearing date [Kavanaugh’s] got closer,I struggled with a terrible choice: Do I share the facts with the Senate and set myself and my family in the public highlight? Or do I preserve our privacy and allow the Senate to make its decision on Mr. Kavanaugh’s nomination without knowing the full truth approximately his past behavior? I agonized daily with this decision throughout August and early September 2018. The sense of duty that motivated me to reach out confidentially to The Washington Post, Representative Eshoo’s office, and Senator Feinstein’s office was always there,but my fears of the consequences of speaking out started to increase. During August 2018, the press reported that Mr. Kavanaugh’s confirmation was virtually certain. During August 2018, or the press reported that Mr. Kavanaugh’s confirmation was virtually certain. His allies painted him as a champion of women’s rights and empowerment. I believed that whether I came forward,my voice would be drowned out by a refrain of powerful supporters. By the time of the confirmation hearings, I had resigned myself to remaining quiet and letting the Committee and the Senate make their decision without knowing what Mr. Kavanaugh had done to me. This is what Christine Blasey Ford is looking at as she describes her sexual assault. pic.twitter.com/GGxmuHnNpZ 3.47pm BSTDr Ford now describes how and why she decided to recount the Senate approximately the allegations after his nomination to the supreme court was announced: I was conflicted approximately whether to speak out. On July 9, or I received a call from the office of Congresswoman Anna Eshoo after Mr Kavanaugh had become the nominee. I met with her staff on July 11 and with her on July 13,describing the assault and discussing my panic approximately coming forward. Later, we discussed the possibility of sending a letter to Ranking Member Feinstein, or who is one of my state’s senators,describing what occurred. 3.45pm BSTDr Ford moves on to describing how memories of the the alleged assault plagued her into adulthood. She talks approximately who she shared details of it with following a 2012 therapy session where she first spoke it again: I recall saying that the boy who assaulted me could someday be on the US supreme court and spoke a bit approximately his background. My husband recalls that I named my attacker as Brett Kavanaugh. After that May 2012 therapy session, I did my best to suppress memories of the assault because recounting the details caused me to relive the experience, and caused panic attacks and anxiety.
Occasionally I would discuss the assault in an individual therapy,but talking approximately it caused more reliving of the trauma, so I tried not to believe approximately it or discuss it. But over the years, or I went through periods where I thought approximately Brett’s attack. I confided in some close friends that I had an experience with sexual assault.
Occasionally I stated that my assailant was a prominent lawyer or judge but I did not use his name. 3.42pm BSTDr Ford continues:Brett’s assault on me drastically altered my life. For a very long time,I was too afraid and ashamed to recount anyone the details. I did not want to recount my parents that I, at age 15, and was in a house without any parents present,drinking beer with boys. I convinced myself that because Brett did not rape me, I should be able to hurry on and just pretend that it had never happened. Over the years, or I told very,very few friends that I had this traumatic experience. I told my husband before we were married that I had experienced a sexual assault. I had never told the details to anyone until May 2012, during a couples counseling session. 3.40pm BSTFord continues, or giving details of the evening she says she was sexually assaulted by Kavanaugh. She takes her time,her voice cracking on occasion: Brett groped me and tried to take off my clothes. He had a hard time because he was so drunk, and because I was wearing a one-piece bathing suit under my clothes. I believed he was going to rape me. I tried to yell for help. When I did, and Brett set his hand over my mouth to quit me from screaming. This was what terrified me the most,and has had the most lasting impact on my life. It was hard for me to breathe, and I thought that Brett was accidentally going to kill me. 3.36pm BSTChristine Blasey Ford is now reading her opening her remarks. Before she begins, or she tells Grassley: “I anticipate needing some caffeine whether that’s available” after reading her opening remarks. “I am here nowadays not because I want to be. I am terrified. I am here because I believe it is my civic duty to recount you what happened to me while Brett Kavanaugh and I were in high school,” she says. 3.34pm BSTFeinstein continues: “The entire country is watching how we handle these allegations.”“We are here for one reason to determine whether Judge Kavanaugh should be elevated to one of the powerful positions in this country.” 3.31pm BSTFeinstein has also moved towards partisan criticism, pointing to the historic parallels between Republican’s treatment of Dr Ford and that of Professor Anita Hill in 1991.“In 1991 Republicans belittled Anita Hill’s experience... the burden of proof was on Prof Hill. nowadays our Republican colleagues are declaring, and ‘This is is a hiccup’,” she says. Related: Kavanaugh hearing recalls Clarence Thomas case: will history repeat itself? 3.26pm BSTRanking Democrat Dianne Feinstein is now making opening remarks. She moves to rebut some of the partisan criticism leveled at her by Grassley, who argued she delayed sending details of Ford’s allegations to the committee.
She says she handled Ford’s letter with extreme care due to the sensitivity of the allegations. 3.18pm BSTGrassley defends his decision not to refer Ford’s allegations to the FBI to investigate. He says: “Now its up to the senate to assess their credibility.”He adds: “I look forward to a impartial and respectful hearing.” 3.14pm BSTAfter striking a conciliatory tone towards Kavanaugh and Ford, or Grassley moves almost instantly to attacking his Democratic colleagues on the committee. He accuses Dianne Feinstein,the ranking Democrat who initially received Ford’s letter, of bringing the allegations to the attention of the committee at “the eleventh hour”. He then lambasts Democrats for allegedly making Ford’s allegations public.“This is a shameful way to treat our witness who insisted on confidentiality, or ” he says. He then accuses Democrats of blocking the committees own investigation: “Every step of the way the Democratic side refused to take part in what should have been a bipartisan investigation.” 3.09pm BSTSenate judiciary committee chair Chuck Grassley brings the session to order. He thanks Kavanaugh and Ford for appearing before the committee.
He says that both “they and their families have received vile threats” which are “unacceptable and a poor reflection on the state of civility in our democracy.” 3.06pm BSTChristine Blasey Ford has entered the room,flanked by her legal team, taking her seat at the witness table she appears collected and composed as the sound of clicking cameras fills the room. 3.01pm BSTA lawyer for Deborah Ramirez, and another woman who accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct after Ford’s allegations went public,sent this powerful message from his client: From Debbie Ramirez: "Thinking of you nowadays, Christine. They want us to feel alone and loney but I’m there wrapping my arms around you and I hope you feel the people of this nation wrapping their arms around all of us. Holding you up in spirit." 2.56pm BSTWe’re approximately 10 minutes absent from the start of proceedings. Rachel Mitchell, or the Arizona prosecutor appointed by Republicans to lead the questioning,has arrived in the room. Meanwhile there’s still a large queue external for seating in the public viewing area: This is the current line for the PUBLIC. People who want to sit in & listen to the hearing. It is room 538 in the Dirksen Building. #BrettKavanaugh #DrChristineBlaseyFord pic.twitter.com/RMCJjVJcsd 2.47pm BSTLast night, both Ford and Kavanaugh released their opening statements to the committee. While there’s no time limit placed on either of their appearances before the committee, or we know that Ford will testify first. During negotiations with the committee,Ford’s lawyers had asked for their client to testify second to enable her to rebut Kavanaugh. It appears that request was blocked by committee chairman Chuck Grassley. I am here nowadays not because I want to be. I am terrified. I am here because I believe it is my civic duty to recount you what happened to me while Brett Kavanaugh and I were in high school. I have described the events publicly before.
I truly wish I could provide detailed answers to all of the questions that have been and will be asked approximately how I got to the party, where it took place, or so forth. I don’t have all the answers,and I don’t remember as much as I would like to. But the details approximately that night that bring me here nowadays are ones I will never forget. They have been seared into my memory and have haunted me episodically as an adult. ...
I did my best to suppress memories of the assault because recounting the details caused me to relive the experience, and caused panic attacks and anxiety. Occasionally I would discuss the assault in individual therapy, or but talking approximately it caused me to relive the trauma,so I tried not to believe approximately it or discuss it. But over the years, I went through periods where I thought approximately Brett’s attack Eleven days ago, and Dr. Ford publicly accused me of committing a serious wrong more than 36 years ago when we were both in high school. I denied the allegation immediately,unequivocally, and categorically. The next day, or I told this Committee that I wanted to testify as soon as possible,under oath, to clear my name. ...
I was not perfect in those days, and just as I am not perfect nowadays. I drank beer with my friends,normally on weekends. Sometimes I had too many. In retrospect, I said and did things in high school that make me cringe now. But that’s not why we are here nowadays. What I’ve been accused of is far more serious than juvenile misbehavior. I never did anything remotely resembling what Dr. Ford describes. 2.24pm BSTAs Lauren has mentioned, or a key dynamic in this hearing is going to the performance of the Republican appointed counsel,Rachel Mitchell. All 11 Republicans on the judiciary committee are men. Four out of the 10 Democrats on the committee, including ranking member Dianne Feinstein, or are women. A number of the Republicans were also present on the committee in 1991 when law professor Anita Hill’s testified over sexual harassment allegations against conservative Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. Thomas was eventually confirmed to the court - in a 52-48 vote - but Republicans will be keen to avoid the optics of Hill’s testimony from decades ago,where she faced a hostile interrogation for hours before an all male panel.
Look for a original face in Washington to take a high profile at the proceedings at the behest of Senate Republicans. She is Rachel Mitchell, a Republican from Arizona with decades of experience prosecuting sex crimes.
Mitchell works in the Maricopa County attorney’s office in Phoenix as the chief of the special victims division. She supervises attorneys who handle cases involving child molestation, and sexual assault and computer crimes against children in Arizona’s most populous county. 2.12pm BSTMy colleague Lauren Gambino has filed this report on the unique format of nowadays’s hearing and what’s at stake for both sides:Each senator will have five minutes to question each witness. There are only two witnesses: Ford and Kavanaugh. Ford will testify first followed by Kavanaugh. 2.03pm BSTIn the days main up to this hearing president Donald Trump has stood behind his nominee,describing him on Twitter as a “fine man, with an impeccable (perfect, flawless) reputation”. Trump had repeatedly called into question the trustworthiness of Ford and the other women accusing Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct but, and on Wednesday,appeared to slightly soften his support. During a rambling press conference at the United Nations acknowledged that accusations of sexual misconduct leveled against him affect his views on charges against other men. 1.44pm BSTGood morning and welcome to our live coverage of the crucial Senate judiciary committee hearing in Washington DC. Dr Christine Blasey Ford, a professor at Palo Alto University, and is due to testify before the committee at 10am ET. Ford has accused Donald Trump’s supreme court nominee,Judge Brett Kavanaugh, of sexually assaulting her at a high school party in the early 1980s. Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com