Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh told the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday he will appear and answer questions about sexual assault allegations against him, and said he’s ready to clear his name.
“Thank you for the invitation to appear before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on Monday, September 24,” he wrote. “I will be there.”
“I continue to want a hearing as soon as possible, so that I can clear my name,” he added.
[White House: Kavanaugh ready to testify, wants to ‘clear his name of this false allegation’]
Kavanaugh’s decision comes as his accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, continues to talk to the committee about how she might offer her side of the story. Her lawyer told the committee Thursday that she could be in a position to talk by next week, but said Monday would not be possible.
The letter comes on the heels of news that Republicans on the panel are reportedly considering hiring outside legal counsel to question Kavanaugh and California professor Christine Blasey Ford, who alleges Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her more than 30 years ago.
GOP members of the panel may bring in a female litigator to interview the pair in the hope of mitigating concerns about the optics of the all-male Republican contingent on the committee pressing Ford about her claim that Kavanaugh drunkenly forced himself on her when the pair were in high school, according to NBC News on Thursday.
The motivation to not rely on senators or congressional aides is “to have an experienced attorney who hasn’t been so deeply involved in the nomination and could bring some fresh eyes to evaluate everything fairly and firmly,” a Senate GOP staffer told the Washington Post.
A Democratic operative is reportedly helping Ford prepare for a potential appearance.
Ricki Seidman of TSD Communications is also advising Ford, Politico reported Thursday. Seidman was a former investigator for Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., and was crucial to Anita Hill’s decision in 1991 to testify against then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas.
The GOP majority on the Senate Judiciary Committee wants to hold a hearing with Kavanaugh and Ford on Monday about Ford’s claim.
Ford has until Friday morning to accept an invitation to also be heard on Capitol Hill. Her lawyers continue to speak with Senate Judiciary Committee staff about the parameters of a possible interview, but they have indicated a “strong preference” for an independent investigation to take place before Ford faces the panel.
