Kavanaugh's Accuser Agrees To Thursday Testimony

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault while they were teenagers in Maryland, has agreed to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee next week.

In a letter to the committee, Ford's lawyers wrote that she "accepts the Committee's request to provide her first-hand knowledge of Brett Kavanaugh's sexual misconduct next week." The letter also says that many of the proposals are inconsistent with with the committee's promise of a "fair, impartial investigation into her allegations." The letter also requests further negotiations regarding the testimony.

Negotiators reached a tentative agreement Saturday for the Senate Judiciary Committee to hear testimony from Ford on Thursday, according to two people briefed on the matter. Lawyers for Ford and bipartisan representatives of the committee came to the tentative agreement after a short phone call, said one of the people, who was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity. The person said Kavanaugh would also appear.

Some details of the hearing, such as the order of their appearance, remained in negotiation. Talks were expected to continue Sunday.

Ford publicly came forward less than a week ago in an interview with The Washington Post. A professor at Palo Alto University, she sent a tip to the paper when Kavanaugh's name appeared on a short list of replacements for retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy. She later contacted her congresswoman before sending a letter describing the incident to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the ranking judiciary committee Democrat.

Ford wished to remain anonymous but decided to speak to the Post when she feared she would be exposed, the paper reported. In the days since she came forward, she has faced death threats and has met with the FBI, per the Post.

Ford alleges that Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed and groped her over her clothes at a Maryland home in the 1980s. She told the Post that when she tried to scream, Kavanaugh allegedly put his hand over her mouth. Ford alleges that a friend of Kavanaugh, Mark Judge, was in the room at the time and she was able to get away when he jumped on top of them and the three went tumbling. Ford told the Post that both Kavanaugh and his friend were "stumbling drunk" at the time.

Ford initially indicated she wanted to tell her story to the committee, but talks dragged on as her lawyers negotiated terms of her appearance.

Republicans grew frustrated as Ford's lawyers insisted on a hearing next Thursday rather than Monday or even Wednesday and made other requests, some of which the committee chairman, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, rejected. Democrats, against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement, countered that Ford should be shown respect and given accommodation to tell her story.

Reporting from The Associated Press was used in this story.

Photo: In this Sept. 6, 2018, file photo, President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, for the third day of his confirmation hearing to replace retired Justice Anthony Kennedy. Christine Blasey Ford, the woman accusing Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct when they were teenagers has come forward to The Washington Post. Photo by Alex Brandon, File/Associated Press