September 24, 2018

Brett Kavanaugh Digs In: “I’m Not Going Anywhere”

“The truth is, I’ve never sexually assaulted anyone,” he tells Fox News

Brett Kavanaugh during his interview with Fox News.Jacquelyn Martin/AP

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Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh broke his silence on his sexual misconduct allegations in an interview with Fox News on Monday, calling them “false accusations.” 

The Supreme Court nominee’s confirmation hearings were thrown into chaos when a Palo Alto University professor, Christine Blasey Ford, accused Kavanaugh of assaulting her at a party when they were teenagers. On Sunday, another woman, Deborah Ramirez, came forward, telling The New Yorker that she believes Kavanaugh “thrust his penis” in her face during a drunken college party. 

“I’m not going to let false accusations drive us out of this process,” Kavanaugh said, appearing alongside his wife, Ashley. “We’re looking for a fair process where I can be heard defending my integrity, my lifelong record of promoting dignity and equality for women. I’m not going anywhere.” 

Kavanaugh repeatedly denied the allegations and dodged questions about whether the claims were politically motivated and whether someone should be judged for their actions as a teenager.

“The truth is, I’ve never sexually assaulted anyone,” he said, adding that he “did not have sexual intercourse or anything close to sexual intercourse in high school, and many years thereafter.” (The allegations against Kavanaugh do not involve intercourse.)

The nominee also said President Trump had personally called and said he would stand by him.

Both of the women alleging misconduct by Kavanaugh have called on the FBI to investigate. Ford is expected to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday. 

This post has been updated.

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