November 5, 2018 - Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today released the following statement on Republicans’ memo on the allegations against Brett Kavanaugh:
“The Republican memo released over the weekend on allegations of sexual assault against Brett Kavanaugh is one-sided and partisan. It is designed to defend Brett Kavanaugh and destroy the women who came forward. It does nothing to uncover the facts. It is shocking that Republicans issued a 400-page memo attacking victims of sexual assault.
“The memo’s main conclusion that there is no corroborating evidence for Dr. Ford’s or Deborah Ramirez’s allegations is false. First and foremost, Republicans ignored the powerful and credible testimony Ford provided under oath, and they also ignored corroborating evidence offered to the FBI and presented to the committee.
“Dr. Ford presented sworn statements from four individuals who she told about her assault long before Brett Kavanaugh was nominated to the Supreme Court as well as names of more than a dozen witnesses to be interviewed. Deborah Ramirez also offered more than dozen individuals who could corroborate her allegations. The Chairman’s staff failed to speak to any of them.
“The Republicans also fail to address Brett Kavanaugh’s unbelievable, evasive, and misleading statements. Numerous high school and college friends came forward to say that Brett Kavanaugh’s depiction of his reputation and behavior was false. Neither the committee nor the FBI interviewed these individuals.
“The Republicans also failed to include testimony that supports the allegations, including information provided by the FBI. Additionally, Republicans ignored Brett Kavanaugh’s repeated refusal to answer straightforward questions at the hearing—in contrast to Dr. Ford answering every single question as accurately as possible.
“While Republicans refused to address Brett Kavanaugh’s credibility, they were relentless in attacking Dr. Ford. They included disparaging statements from a former boyfriend. This type of smear campaign is so unreliable and indefensible that Congress enacted a federal rape shield protections in the 1994 Violence Against Women Act to ensure victims would not be attacked in this manner.
“This partisan document is short on facts and reliability, which is likely why the minority were not informed about their actions or given information Republicans gathered. This violates Senate Rules 26(10) and 27(1), which guarantee that all members of the committee and their staff have equal access to committee records. What’s worse, it sends a terrible message to women who face sexual assault and harassment.”
Source: Senator Dianne Feinstein
