Christine Blasey Ford’s letter detailing sexual assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh.
The contents of the letter Christine Blasey Ford wrote to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., in July detailing the night in 1982 she alleges Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her were leaked to the media Sunday evening.
Ford, a 51-year-old professor at Palo Alto University, revealed her identity to the Washington Post and described in detail the night she claims Kavanaugh drunkenly forced himself on her in a Maryland bedroom during a gathering of his Georgetown Preparatory School classmates. Kavanaugh vehemently denies the allegation and the White House is standing by the nominee.
Hours after the Post report, CNN reported Sunday evening that it did not obtain an actual copy of the letter, but rather was read its contents by a source. The news outlet read the text of the letter on air and published its contents in text form online with some names redacted.
One of the redacted names appears to be Kavanaugh’s friend Mark Judge, who according to what Ford told the Post had been the individual who watched jumped on top of them during the encounter. That’s when Ford claims she was able to disentangle herself before locking herself in a bathroom and then escape the house.
The letter, which was mark “confidential,” closely matches much of what Ford told the Post.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has called on Feinstein, the ranking member of the panel, to release the letter to the public. Though she was sent the letter on July 30, Feinstein waited until last week, after the first details of the alleged incident came to light, to reveal in a statement that she referred the allegation to federal authorities.
A Judiciary Committee aide said, according to the Washington Post, that the FBI redacted Ford’s name and sent the letter to the White House for Kavanaugh’s background file. Afterwards the letter was sent to the Judiciary panel for all senators to see.
Democrats and some Republicans are calling on Kavanaugh’s confirmation vote, planned for this week in the Judiciary Committee, to be postponed while further details are gathered.
The contents of the letter below:
Dear Senator Feinstein;
I am writing with information relevant in evaluating the current nominee to the Supreme Court.
As a constituent, I expect that you will maintain this as confidential until we have further opportunity to speak.
Brett Kavanaugh physically and sexually assaulted me during high school in the early 1980’s. He conducted these acts with the assistance of REDACTED.
Both were one to two years older than me and students at a local private school.
The assault occurred in a suburban Maryland area home at a gathering that included me and four others.
Kavanaugh physically pushed me into a bedroom as I was headed for a bathroom up a short stair well from the living room. They locked the door and played loud music precluding any successful attempt to yell for help.
Kavanaugh was on top of me while laughing with REDACTED, who periodically jumped onto Kavanaugh. They both laughed as Kavanaugh tried to disrobe me in their highly inebriated state. With Kavanaugh’s hand over my mouth I feared he may inadvertently kill me.
From across the room a very drunken REDACTED said mixed words to Kavanaugh ranging from “go for it” to “stop.”
At one point when REDACTED jumped onto the bed the weight on me was substantial. The pile toppled, and the two scrapped with each other. After a few attempts to get away, I was able to take this opportune moment to get up and run across to a hallway bathroom. I locked the bathroom door behind me. Both loudly stumbled down the stair well at which point other persons at the house were talking with them. I exited the bathroom, ran outside of the house and went home.
I have not knowingly seen Kavanaugh since the assault. I did see REDACTED once at the REDACTED where he was extremely uncomfortable seeing me.
I have received medical treatment regarding the assault. On July 6 I notified my local government representative to ask them how to proceed with sharing this information . It is upsetting to discuss sexual assault and its repercussions, yet I felt guilty and compelled as a citizen about the idea of not saying anything.
I am available to speak further should you wish to discuss. I am currently REDACTED and will be in REDACTED.
In confidence, REDACTED.
