Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh used an interview on Fox News Monday night to defend himself against allegations of sexual misconduct ahead of a planned hearing on the matter by the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday morning.
Kavanaugh, who was seen as a shoo-in for the high court when President Donald Trump first announced his pick for the seat vacated by the retiring Anthony Kennedy, has, instead found himself at the center of a growing maelstrom of allegations about his behavior as a high school and college student, including sexual assault, drunkenness and lewd behavior.
“I’ve never sexually assaulted anyone,” Kavanaugh told Fox host Martha MacCallum in response to a question about why college professor Christine Blasey Ford would accuse him of such a thing.
“I never did any such thing,” he said.
Ford said the incident happened at a party when they were both in high school.
“I was never at any such party,” Kavanaugh said.
“I was never at a party like Dr. Ford described.”
Ford said Kavanaugh assaulted her at a small gathering at a house in a Maryland neighborhood in 1982 when both attended elite prep schools.
“People might have had too many beers on occasion, and people generally in high school — I think all of us have probably done things we look back on in high school and regret or cringe a bit,” he said, but he went on to deny he did anything wrong.
“I’ve always treated women with dignity and respect,” Kavanaugh said throughout the interview.
“Again, again, I’m just asking for a fair process where I can be heard and defend my integrity and my family’s integrity,” he said repeatedly.
Kavanaugh said he’s looking for a fair process to defend his integrity and clear his name.
Kavanaugh’s wife, Ashley, was by his side during the interview and said the sexual assault allegations don’t make any sense.
Credit: Win McNamee
Credit: Win McNamee
“I know Brett and I’ve known him for 17 years ... (This) is not consistent with Brett,” she said.
She also said the allegations have been “incredibly hard” on their family. The couple have two girls together.
When asked about a second woman who accused him of acting in a lewd manner at a Yale University dormitory party when they were freshmen, Brett Kavanaugh again denied the allegation.
“I never did any such thing.”
In a question about a potential third accuser who has reportedly alleged Brett Kavanaugh was part of a gang rape culture in the 1980s, he vehemently denied it, calling it “totally false and outrageous.”
“I didn’t do this or anything resembling this,” he said.
“I’m telling the truth.”
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