Judiciary Dems say GOP treating Kavanaugh accuser worse than Anita Hill
Senate Democrats on the Judiciary Committee said on Friday Republicans on the committee are treating the woman accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault worse than senators treated Anita Hill in the 90s.
“Up to this point, the Committee majority’s treatment of Dr. Ford has unquestionably been worse than the disgraceful treatment that Anita Hill received 27 years ago,” the ten Democrats on the panel—led by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.)—wrote in a letter sent to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who oversees the committee.
Democrats have seized on the 1991 hearings, where Hill testified publicly during a televised hearing about Clarence Thomas allegedly sexually harassing her.
The handling of the hearing, including the optics of the all male committee questioning Hill, helped spark the 1992 “Year of the Woman” movement that swept several female lawmakers, including Feinstein, into office.
They added that “we fear that rather than learning from the past, Senate Republicans and the Trump Administration are repeating this Committee’s previous mistakes and making new ones.”
Democrats pointed to comments from Republicans on the committee, including Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) who told reporters that Christine Blasey Ford, Kavanaugh’s accuser, was “mistaken.”
“We are disheartened to see many of our colleagues in the majority have already made up their minds and begun to dismiss and diminish Dr. Ford’s experience,” Democrats wrote, adding “we are better than this.”
The letter comes as Judiciary Committee staffers and lawyers for Ford are negotiating a potential hearing next week. Ford’s lawyers want Kavanaugh testify first, that the hearing be held on Thursday and that they not be in the same room.
Judiciary Committee staff countered on Friday offering a Wednesday hearing, that Kavanaugh go second and that outside counsel question Ford.
Democrats wrote that if the hearing will go forward, then the committee should hear from the FBI, the individual who gave Ford a polygraph test and other witnesses including Mark Judge. Judge told senators in a letter that he did not wish to testify.
Democrats are also asking for any notes and transcripts from interviews GOP committee staffers have conducted in relation to Ford, including any materials or sources used to identify the individuals. They also want to know if any White House or DOJ officials were on the calls.
Republicans say they invited Democratic staff to take part in the background calls but Democrats refused.
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