Getty/Palo Alto University Christine Blasey Ford and Brett Kavanaugh
Christine Blasey Ford sent a letter to Sen. Chuck Grassley on Monday morning, confirming that she will testify before the SJC on Thursday morning and requesting that she receive “fair and respectful treatment.”
After several days of legal wrangling, Ford’s lawyers finally reached an agreement with SJC committee reps on Sunday regarding the logistics around Ford’s testimonial on Thursday.
In a statement on Sunday, Ford’s lawyers said via The New York Times, “Despite actual threats to her safety and her life, Dr. Ford believes it is important for senators to hear directly from her about the sexual assault committed against her.” Her lawyers further added that while some other logistical details have not been ironed out, “they will not impede the hearing taking place.”
Full Letter by Christine Blasey Ford to Sen. Chuck Grassley: “My Fears Will Not Hold Me Back”
And now Professor Christine Blasey Ford sends a letter to @ChuckGrassley to say, in part: “While I am frightened, please know, my fear will not hold me back from testifying”… via @Phil_Mattingly & @mkraju
Per CNN reporter Elizabeth Landers, here is the full letter by Christine Blasey Ford that was sent to Sen. Chuck Grassley on Monday:
Dear Senator Grassley,
There has been a lot of back and forth between your staff and my counsel, and I appreciate the chance to communicate with you directly. I kindly ask you to use your best discretion regarding this personal letter.
When I first learned that Brett Kavanaugh was on the short-list of nominees to fill a Supreme Court vacancy, prior to the President’s section among a list of what seemed to me as a similarly-qualified candidates, I contacted my Congressperson’s office in an attempt to provide information that could be useful to you and the President when making the selection from among a list of candidates. The decision to first report the assault to my Congresswoman, Rep. Anna Eshoo, was a very difficult one, but I felt that this was something that a citizen couldn’t NOT do. I felt agony yet urgency and a civic duty to let it be known, in a confidential manner, prior to the nominee being selected. While it was difficult, I was able to share my information with two contacts during the period between the short list announcement and Mr. Kavanaugh’s selection.
Mr. Kavanaugh’s actions, while many years ago, were serious and have had a lasting impact on my life. I thought that knowledge of his actions could be useful for you and those in charge of choosing among the various candidates. My original intent was first and foremost to be a helpful citizen– in a confidential way that would minimize collateral damage to all families and friends involved.
I then took the step of sending a confidential letter to one of my Senators, Ranking Member Feinstein, and I understand that you have a copy of that letter. I am certainly prepared to repeat the facts in the letter and to provide further facts under oath at a hearing. I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you and other Senators directly, person to person, to tell you what occurred. I will answer any questions you have. I hope that we can find such a setting and that you will understand that I have one motivation in coming forward– to tell the truth about what Mr. Kavanaugh and his friend Mark Judge did to me. My sincere desire is to be helpful to persons making the decision.
In addition to talking with you and other Senators directly, I have asked my lawyer to continue discussions with your staff about the conditions you have proposed. As I am not a lawyer or a Senator, I am relying on them and you to ensure that the Committee will agree to conditions that will allow me to testify in a fair setting that won’t disrupt families and become a media TV show. While the nationwide outpouring of love has been heartwarming, I am spending considerable time managing death threats, avoiding people following me on freeways, and disconcerting media intrusion, including swarms of vans at my home and unauthorized persons entering my classroom and medical settings where I work. I have received an inordinate number of requests to appear on major TV shows to elucidate further information, to which I have not responded. My goal is to return soon to my workplace, one it is deemed safe for me and importantly, for students. Currently, my family has physically relocated and have divided up separately on many nights with the tremendous help of friends in the broader community. Through gracious persons here and across the country, we have been able to afford hiring security. While I am frightened, please know, my fears will not hold me back from testifying and you will be provided with answers to all of your questions. I ask for fair and respectful treatment.
Kind regards,
Christine Blasey