A former classmate of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who was identified as someone who was at the same party where Kavanaugh sexually assaulted a woman, denies any knowledge of the party in question or any inappropriate conduct by Kavanaugh.
Christine Blasey Ford accused Kavanaugh of drunkenly groping her while his friend was in the room at a high school party over three decades ago.
Patrick J. Smyth, who was a classmate of Kavanaugh’s at Georgetown Prep, was identified as the friend “PJ” in Ford’s account of the allegations.
[Also read: Elizabeth Warren attacks Brett Kavanaugh for once saying, ‘What happens at Georgetown Prep, stays at Georgetown Prep’]
Smyth’s lawyer Eric Bruce wrote a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and ranking Democrat Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., claiming his client did not witness or know of any “improper conduct” by Kavanaugh.
“I understand that I have been identified by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford as the person she remembers as ‘PJ’ who supposedly was present at the party she described in her statements to the Washington Post,” Smyth says in his statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee, CNN reported. “I am issuing this statement today to make it clear to all involved that I have no knowledge of the party in question; nor do I have any knowledge of the allegations of improper conduct she has leveled against Brett Kavanaugh.”
The letter is expected to be sent to Grassley and Feinstein Wednesday.
Earlier this summer Smyth signed a letter of support for Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court. The letter of support indicated that Smyth, along with dozens of other Georgetown Prep alumni, believe Kavanaugh is “singularly qualified to be an Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.”
Kavanaugh denies Ford’s allegations against him.
“Personally speaking, I have known Brett Kavanaugh since high school and I know him to be a person of great integrity, a great friend, and I have never witnessed any improper conduct by Brett Kavanaugh towards women,” Smyth said in the letter. “To safeguard my own privacy and anonymity, I respectfully request that the Committee accept this statement in response to any inquiry the Committee may have.”
Another classmate, Mark Judge, was also identified as being in the room at the time of the alleged assault. Judge also says the incident did not happen.
Ford’s attorneys on Tuesday sent a letter to Grassley indicating that their client would not testify before the committee until the FBI fully investigated the allegations.
This story was corrected to note that Smyth was identified as someone who was allegedly at the same party as Kavanaugh, but not in the room with him during the alleged assault.
