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Dr. Christine Blasey Ford testified under oath during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that she never gave tips or advice to anyone about taking a polygraph exam. You can watch video of the exchange that Ford had with prosecutor Rachel Mitchell later in this article.
The comments Ford made at the hearing on the polygraph question have renewed currency now that it’s been revealed that an ex-boyfriend of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford claims in a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee that Ford helped a friend with a polygraph test. You can see the ex-boyfriend’s letter below, as well as read the letter that Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley wrote to Ford’s lawyers. It mentions the testimony in contrast with the letter.
In a statement, Monica McLean, the woman the former boyfriend said was helped by Ford with the polygraph, adamantly denied that.
New: Ford’s team releases statement from Monica McLean, the Ford friend cited in an ex-boyfriend’s anonymous statement to senators.
Story tk at @politico pic.twitter.com/7SRpHhGprx
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That all has some people on social media making claims of perjury; Brett Kavanaugh opponents have also been making claims of perjury against him relating to things like his drinking and high school yearbook references.
The former boyfriend’s letter says he dated Ford for six years and covers a wide range of issues, including credit card use, her alleged fear of flying and closed spaces, and why they broke up (he says she cheated.) The boyfriend alleges he never heard Ford say she was sexually assaulted or bring up Brett Kavanaugh.
Here’s what you need to know:
Ford Told Rachel Mitchell She Never Gave Advice or Tips or Had Discussions With Anyone on a Polygraph
Here’s the exchange that Ford had with prosecutor Rachel Mitchell under oath. You can watch video of it above.
Mitchell: “Have you ever had discussions with anyone besides your attorneys on how to take a polygraph?”
Ford: “Never.”
Mitchell: “And I don’t just mean counter measures, but I mean just any sort of tips or anything like that?”
Ford: “No. I was scared of the test itself but was comfortable that I could tell the information and the test would reveal whatever it was going to reveal. I didn’t expect it to be as long as it was going to be so it was a little bit stressful.”
Mitchell: “Have you ever given tips or advice to somebody who was looking to take a polygraph test?”
Ford: “Never.”
Ford’s Ex Boyfriend Alleges She Gave a Friend Advice on a Polygraph
Christine Ford’s former boyfriend was not named, but a copy of his letter was soon published. The boyfriend’s letter was obtained by John Roberts of Fox News. You can read it above.
It says that the writer met Christine Blasey (now Christine Blasey Ford) in 1989 or 1990 in California. They were friends for two years, and then they dated from 1992 through 1998. “I found her truthful and maintain no animus toward her,” the ex boyfriend wrote.
“During our time dating, Dr. Ford never brought up anything regarding her experience as a victim of sexual assault, harassment, or misconduct. Dr. Ford never mentioned Brett Kavanaugh,” the letter states.
The letter says that Ford lived with a woman named Monica L. McLean, and the boyfriend believed McLean was her “life-long best friend.”
During that time, McLean was interviewing for jobs with the FBI and the US Attorney’s Office, the letter says. “I witnessed Dr. Ford help McLean prepare for a potential polygraph exam. Dr. Ford explained in detail what to expect, how polygraphs worked and helped McLean become familiar and less nervous about the exam. Dr. Ford was able to help because of her background in psychology.”
The writer said that he and Ford lived together while dating and were in a long-distance relationship when Ford moved to Hawaii around 1998.
They traveled around the Hawaiian islands on a propeller plane but “Dr. Ford never indicated a fear of flying. To the best of my recollection, Dr. Ford never expressed a fear of closed quarters, tight spaces, or places with only one exit.”
The writer said he “assisted Dr. Ford with finding a place to live…She ended up living in a very small, 500 sq. ft. house with one door.” (Ford has testified that the alleged assault by Kavanaugh had long-lasting effects on her; her lawyers had indicated she was afraid of flying, and she testified she put a second door on the family home because she was afraid of closed-in spaces. You can read more about the second door controversy here.)
The ex-boyfriend claims he ended the then long-distance relationship “once I discovered that Dr. Ford was unfaithful while living in Hawaii.” He said that he took her off the credit card they shared after they broke up. “But nearly 1 year later, I noticed Dr. Ford had been charging the card, and charged about $600 worth of merchandise. When confronted, Dr. Ford said she did not use the card, but later admitted to the use after I threatened to involve fraud prevention.”
The writer says he didn’t speak with Ford again until around 2002 when she contacted him briefly. He hadn’t thought much about her until he saw the story in the Washington Post on September 16, 2018. The boyfriend said he doesn’t want to be involved in the process or investigation but wanted to be truthful about what he knows.
Grassley’s Letter Contrasted Ford’s Testimony With the Ex-Boyfriend’s Letter in Requesting More Information About the Polygraph
The Grassley letter, which you can read above, says that Grassley was renewing “my requests for material evidence relevant to allegations of sexual assault made by… Dr. Christine Blasey Ford against Judge Brett Kavanaugh.”
Grassley argued, “Your continued withholding of material evidence despite multiple requests is unacceptable as the Senate exercises its constitutional responsibility of advice and consent for a judicial nomination.”
He wrote that he was renewing his request “for the notes from therapy sessions in which Dr. Ford discussed the alleged assault by Judge Kavanaugh.” Grassley noted that the reports were “repeatedly cited as corroboration even while written 30 years after the alleged event and in apparent contradiction with testimony and other public statements regarding several key details of the allegations, including when the alleged attack occurred, how many individuals were present in the bedroom in which the attack was alleged to have occurred, and how many individuals attended the party.”
Grassley indicated that Ford’s lawyers had previously argued that the notes “contain private, highly sensitive information that is not necessary for the Committee to assess the credibility of [Dr. Ford’s] testimony.”
He also renewed his requests for “copies of all audio or video recordings produced during the course of Mr. Hanafin’s polygraph examination of Dr. Ford, as well as polygraph charts and other data that Mr. Hanafin relied upon in preparing his report.”
Grassley said it was “unfair to rely on the result of a polygraph examination while withholding the materials necessary to assess the accuracy of the results.”
He then brought up the boyfriend’s letter, writing, “the full details of Dr. Ford’s polygraph are particularly important because the Senate Judiciary Committee has received a sworn statement from a longtime boyfriend of Dr. Ford’s stating that he personally witnessed Dr. Ford coaching a friend on polygraph examinations. When asked under oath in the hearing whether she’d ever given any tips or advice to someone who was planning on taking a polygraoh, Dr. Ford replied, ‘Never.’” Grassley added, “This statement raises specific concerns about the reliability of her polygraph examination results. The Senate therefore needs this information.”
He also asked for any and all written audiovisual or electronic materials relating to the allegations previously provided to any reporter. For example, he is seeking Dr. Ford’s communications with a Washington Post reporter over an encrypted app.
He said that Dr. Ford’s allegations have “put Judge Kavanaugh on trial before the nation. A sitting federal judge and Supreme Court nominee has been accused of committing a violent crime.”