WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today shared his support for and admiration of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee about her allegation of sexual assault by Judge Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court. In the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Dr. Blasey Ford told Durbin, with 100% certainty, that it was Brett Kavanaugh who sexually assaulted her.
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“As difficult as this experience must be, I want you to know that your courage in coming forward has given countless Americans the strength to face their own life-shattering past and begin to heal their wounds. By example, you have brought many families into honest and sometimes painful dialogue that should have occurred a long time ago. I am sorry for what this has done to you and your family. No one, no one should face harassment, death threats, and disparaging comments by cheap shot politicians for simply for telling the truth,” Durbin said. “But you and your family should know that for every scurrilous charge and every pathetic tweet, there have been thousands of Americans, women and men, who believe you, support you, and thank you for your courage.”
Yesterday, following the release of a sworn affidavit from Julie Swetnick detailing new allegations of sexual assault by Judge Kavanaugh, Durbin called for Senate Republicans and the White House to either immediately call for the FBI to conduct an investigation into the multiple allegations of sexual assault by Judge Kavanaugh or withdraw his nomination.
Video of Durbin’s remarks in Committee are available here.
Audio of Durbin’s remarks in Committee are available here.
Durbin’s remarks as delivered are below:
Durbin: Mr. Chairman, I ask consent to enter into the record letters of support for Dr. Ford from her classmates at Holton-Arms School, 1,200 alumni of the school, 195 of your colleagues, students, and mentors. 1,400 women and men who attended D.C. schools and 15 members of the Yale Law School Faculty who are calling for a full FBI investigation. I ask consent to enter these into the record.
Chairman Grassley: Without objection, so ordered.
Durbin: Dr. Ford,
As difficult as this experience must be, I want you to know that your courage in coming forward has given countless Americans the strength to face their own life-shattering past and begin to heal their wounds.
By example, you have brought many families into honest and sometimes painful dialogue that should have occurred a long time ago.
I am sorry for what this has done to you and your family. No one, no one should face harassment, death threats, and disparaging comments by cheap shot politicians simply for telling the truth.
But you and your family should know that for every scurrilous charge and every pathetic tweet, there have been thousands of Americans, women and men, who believe you, support you, and thank you for your courage.
Watching your experience, it’s no wonder that many sexual assault survivors hide their past and spend their lives suffering in painful silence.
You had absolutely nothing to gain by bringing these facts to the Senate Judiciary Committee. The fact that you are testifying here today, terrified though you may be; the fact that you have called for an FBI investigation of this incident; the fact that you are prepared to name both Judge Kavanaugh and eyewitness Mark Judge stands in sharp contrast to the obstruction we have seen on the other side.
The FBI should have investigated your charges as they did in the Anita Hill hearing, but they did not.
Mark Judge should be subpoenaed from his Bethany Beach hideaway and required to testify under oath, but he has not.
Judge Kavanaugh, if he truly believes there is no evidence, no witnesses that can prove your case, should be joining us in demanding a thorough FBI investigation, but he has not.
Today, you come before this committee and before this nation alone. I know you are joined by counsel and family.
The prosecutor on the Republican side will continue to ask questions to test your memory and veracity.
After spending decades trying to forget that awful night, it’s no wonder your recollection is less than perfect. A polished liar can create a seamless story, but a trauma survivor cannot be expected to remember every painful detail. That’s what Senator Leahy has mentioned earlier.
One question is critical. In Judge Kavanaugh’s opening testimony, which we will hear after you leave, this is what he says “I never had any sexual or physical encounter of any kind with Dr. Ford. I am not questioning that Dr. Ford may have been sexually assaulted by some person in some place at some time.”
Last night, the Republican staff of this committee released to the media a timeline that shows they have interviewed two people who claim they were the ones who actually assaulted you. I am asking you to address this new defense of mistaken identity directly.
Dr. Ford, with what degree of certainty do you believe Brett Kavanaugh assaulted you?
Dr. Ford: One hundred percent.
Durbin: One hundred percent.
In the letter, which you sent to Senator Feinstein, you wrote: “I have not knowingly seen Kavanaugh since the assault, I did see Mark Judge once at the Potomac Village Safeway, where he was extremely uncomfortable seeing me.”
Would you please describe that encounter at the Safeway with Mark Judge and what led you to believe he was uncomfortable?
Dr. Ford: Yes. I was going to the Potomac Village Safeway. This was on the corner of Falls and River Road. And I was with my mother, and I was a teenager so I wanted her to go in one door and me go in the other. I chose the wrong door because the door I chose was the one where Mark Judge was – looked like he was working there arranging the shopping carts. And I said hello to him, and his face was white and very uncomfortable saying hello back, and we had previously been friendly at the times we saw each other over the previous two years, albeit not very many times, we had always been friendly with one another. I wouldn’t characterize him as not friendly, he was just nervous and not really wanting to speak with me. And he looked a little bit ill.
Durbin: How long did this occur after the incident?
Dr. Ford: I would estimate six to eight weeks.
Durbin: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
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