Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court and a sexual-assault allegation that imperils it present a moment of truth for Senate Republicans, former federal prosecutor Joseph diGenova said Wednesday.
The Senate Judiciary Committee this week paused a vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination after a California psychology professor accused him of assaulting her during a party in the 1980s, when they both were in high school.
The woman, Christine Blasey Ford, said through her attorney Tuesday that she will not accept an offer by the panel to testify on Monday and instead wants an FBI investigation. DiGenova, who served as U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia under Ronald Reagan, said on “The Laura Ingraham Show” that it is not just Kavanaugh’s future that is on the line Monday. It is their own majority.
“If they postpone the vote, they will lose the Senate, because their base will not turn out,” he said. “Republicans are sick of Republicans’ not fighting. And if they were to postpone this vote, I will guarantee you, they will lose the Senate.”
Kavanaugh (pictured above), who currently serves as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, has emphatically denied the allegation and expressed a willingness to address it under oath.
DiGenova said he has no sympathy for Ford’s reluctance to appear in public without an advance investigation into her allegations by the FBI.
“I could care less about what she’s going to feel like,” he said. “They have decided that it’s OK to ruin the reputation and life of a great man — a man with a wonderful family and a great history, and they have dragged up this filthy lie. And it is a lie. I do not believe this woman.”
In Ford’s account, a drunken Kavanaugh pushed her on to a bed and tried to take off her clothes before she was able to get away. She said she did not tell anyone about the incident until 2012 during a marriage counseling session.
Therapist notes provided to The Washington Post describe the incident but do not name Kavanaugh.
DiGenova noted that Ford cannot remember key details about the night of the alleged assault.
“She doesn’t remember where, when, why how, location — everything,” he said. “And now, her silly lawyers want there to be an FBI investigation before she testifies.”
DiGenova ridiculed 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s appearance Tuesday night on MSNBC anchor Rachel Maddow’s show, during which the former first lady called for a two-week pause of the nomination.
Related: Kavanaugh Accuser Refuses to Testify Before the FBI Launches Probe
“Well, Mrs. Clinton, of course, once again, has come out the woodwork to waddle her way on to the stage and pretend to be offended by all the things that her husband did many times over many years ago,” he said. “Mrs. Clinton is the least significant person to be able to talk about this subject, given the way she has treated her husband’s female accusers in the past.”
If Ford passes on the opportunity Judiciary Committee Republicans have given her, Kavanaugh should be on his way to the high court, diGenova added.
“This is over, and unless she shows up Monday, there’s going to be a vote and he’s gonna be sent to the Senate floor,” he said. “This is disgraceful.”
Watch Clinton address the allegation against Kavanaugh.
Join the Discussion
COMMENTS POLICY: We have no tolerance for messages of violence, racism, vulgarity, obscenity or other such discourteous behavior. Thank you for contributing to a respectful and useful online dialogue.