9:30 A.M. EDT FRIDAY
by Sharon Rondeau
(Sep. 28, 2018) — The chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Charles Grassley of Iowa, has scheduled a vote on the confirmation of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh at 9:30 this morning.
The vote will be taken at an Executive Business Meeting noted on the committee’s calendar.
The contentious vote follows a full day of hearings in which a California woman, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, accused Kavanaugh and his high school friend, Mark Judge, of assaulting her at a summer gathering in 1982. During her testimony, Ford said she wanted an FBI investigation of her claim to help her arrive at more specificity as to the date, time and place of the alleged incident.
At 9:09 a.m. EDT Friday, Fox News’s Bill Hemmer said that the special prosecutor committee Republicans brought in to pose questions to Ford and Kavanaugh on their behalf told the majority last night that she did not find enough evidence had been presented by Ford to hypothetically generate a search warrant or criminal charge.
Rachel Mitchell, a 26-year veteran of the Maricopa County, AZ Special Victims’ Unit, has focused on difficult-to-prove sexual-assault cases. Although heavily criticized by many in the media, under gentle questioning, Mitchell elicited from Ford the stunning revelation that Ford had been unaware that Grassley had offered to garner private testimony from her in her own home or anywhere in the country rather than compelling her to come to Washington.
During questioning of Kavanaugh letter, Mitchell said that there is no statute of limitations in the state of Maryland for a sexual-assault victim to file a police report leading to a criminal charge. Kavanaugh admitted to being aware of the law.
A university professor and researcher in the field of Clinical Psychology with three advanced degrees, Ford testified that she did not know the meaning of the word “exculpatory.” She also said that the polygraph test administered to her on August 7, 2018 in a hotel conference room was long and stressful, although the examiner reported asking her only two questions.
Republicans comprise 11 members on the committee, while Democrats number ten. The minority vigorously opposes a vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination now, having demanded that the FBI further investigate Ford’s claim.
Update, 9:46 a.m.: Sen. Richard Blumenthal made a motion to subpoena Mark Judge, said to have assisted Kavanaugh in assaulting Ford. A roll-call vote was taken and the motion was defeated, after which Grassley said an official vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination would be scheduled for 1:30 p.m. today.
At 9:48, Grassley began the business meeting with all issues to be discussed that day, to include additional federal-court nominees and proposed legislation.