As Twitchy reported, a lawyer for Dr. Christine Blasey Ford has announced that she will not be ready for Monday’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, as she’s demanding an FBI investigation of her accusations before she’ll testify, and there’s no way the FBI could complete a thorough investigation by then.
Someone should tell her lawyer that she’s making her client look like a fraud. https://t.co/CpAeCacxzQ
— Arthur Schwartz (@ArthurSchwartz) September 19, 2018
Plenty weighed in on that news, but we thought we’d check in with attorney and Twitchy favorite Gabriel Malor, and he’s asking the same questions as the rest of us.
She's asking for "a full investigation by law enforcement officials," but, of course, FBI doesn't investigate claims of sexual assault—even timely ones. https://t.co/Na9n477CeE
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) September 19, 2018
To be clear, guys, Kavanaugh has had FBI-led background investigations. These aren't criminal investigations like the one Ford is apparently calling for.
The idea that the FBI would investigate a high school sexual assault case—even if it were timely—is completely irregular.
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) September 19, 2018
Also, it's completely unrealistic. Ford cannot say when or where the party occurred, but she wants the FBI to investigate it? Okay????
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) September 19, 2018
Ford's lawyer Monday: Ford is willing to testify.
Ford's lawyer Tuesday: "no sexual assault survivor should be subjected to such an ordeal," namely, "interrogation by Senators who appear to have made up their mind."
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) September 19, 2018
It does not appear to me, as has been suggested, that Ford is suggesting another background investigation. Instead, she wants "an FBI investigation of the incident."
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) September 19, 2018
Just as a matter of law, I'm not even sure what legal authority FBI would have to investigate a high school sexual assault case occurring on private property.
The FBI is empowered to investigate federal crimes not assigned to other agencies. Ford hasn't alleged a federal crime.
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) September 19, 2018
Hmm … it almost sounds like another delay tactic. And wait … there’s another problem, which Ford’s lawyers brought up in a letter to Grassley.
Wow. Blasey Ford says that Grassley scheduled the public hearing expecting her to testify “at the same table” as Kavanaugh. At the same table as the man she says once tried to rape her. https://t.co/h6eqtkOiRs
— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) September 19, 2018
The letter from Debra Katz says the hearing has been scheduled in such a way that she'd have to sit "at the same table" as Kavanaugh. Is that correct?
— Cathy Young (@CathyYoung63) September 19, 2018
The table might be the same, but there's no way he would be seated at the table at the same time as her. It would be sequential.
— Scott Greenfield (@ScottGreenfield) September 19, 2018
Yes, that was my thought as well.
— Cathy Young (@CathyYoung63) September 19, 2018
There was even word floating around earlier today that senators were considering having female staffers interview Ford out of sensitivity:
NEW: GOP senators are considering using their female staffers to question Christine Blasey Ford. So it’s not a bunch of white men questioning her. https://t.co/G6rEydigi4
— Amanda Terkel (@aterkel) September 18, 2018
We don’t think that went anywhere, thankfully.
Not a federal crime
— commonsense (@commonsense258) September 19, 2018
It’s a local matter.
— Mary Fernandez XX (@MaryFernandez) September 19, 2018
I helpfully provided contact information for the Montgomery County State's attorney
— DaveinTexas (@DaveinTexas) September 19, 2018
If found credible it would have to be adjudicated in juvenile court under the laws and statute of limitations under 1983 laws. He was a juvenile not an adult at the time. Total waste of time.
— Ken Morris (@bikecop24) September 19, 2018
Believe it or not, we want to see justice done here. Still, we can’t excuse Sen. Dianne Feinstein for sitting on this information since July and not bringing up the accusations at Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings knowing full well what she knew.
Shocker:
.@SenFeinstein repeats Dr. Ford's call for FBI investigation and delay in hearing: "We should honor Dr. Blasey Ford’s wishes and delay this hearing. A proper investigation must be completed, witnesses interviewed, evidence reviewed and all sides spoken to."
— Jennifer Haberkorn (@jenhab) September 19, 2018
New @SenFeinstein statement: “We should honor Dr. Blasey Ford’s wishes and delay this hearing.” pic.twitter.com/zYRpsolbf6
— Phil Mattingly (@Phil_Mattingly) September 19, 2018
Related:
Christine Blasey Ford rules out Monday hearing, says FBI must conduct full investigation first https://t.co/3mWCAlyupA
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) September 19, 2018
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