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| Brett Kavanaugh and Donald Trump |
Four accusers now have lodged sexual-misconduct allegations against Brett Kavanaugh, Donald Trump's nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court. But Kavanaugh is not the only federal judge who is looking down the barrel of such accusations.
Yes, you heard that right: A second federal judge, one who (like Kavanaugh) currently sits on a U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, is aware that similar complaints have been brought forth against him -- and they will hit the press any day.
Are the allegations against Judge No. 2 directly in line with what we've heard about Kavanaugh? Not exactly; you might say they have a certain twist to them. But both cases raise this question: What kind of low-life pond scum have we been appointing to the federal bench. Our answer: It's a nasty and smelly form of pond scum -- and that does not even count
the crooked opinions they help produce.
Nope, we have been allowing the appointment of "judges" who have no respect for the rule of law -- and maybe even less respect for the human rights of others, which include the right to be treated with respect and the right to, at a minimum, be left alone.
Let's review where we stand with allegations against Brett Kavanaugh -- assuming no new accusers surface between the time I end this sentence and hit "publish" on this post. We will examine them in reverse order, from newest to oldest:
(4) So much for senior prom
The
Montgomery County (MD) Sentinel reported yesterday that authorities are investigating a possible second case of sexual assault in the area involving Kavanaugh -- this one from his senior year at the now-infamous Georgetown Prep. From the
Sentinel report:
Government investigators confirmed Monday they’re aware of a potential second sexual assault complaint in the county against former Georgetown Prep student and Supreme Court nominee Kavanaugh.
While investigators weren’t specific and spoke on background, they said they are looking at allegations made against Kavanaugh during his senior year in high school after an anonymous witness voluntarily came forward to speak with them this weekend.
(3) Boys will be gang rapists
Michael Avenatti, best known as the attorney for porn star and Trump accuser Stormy Daniels, says he has evidence that ties Kavanaugh to multiple gang rapes while in high school. From
a report at New York magazine:
Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for Stormy Daniels, says he is “aware of significant evidence” that Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh participated in multiple gang rapes while in high school.
In an email posted to Twitter Sunday night, Avenatti writes that Kavanaugh, his childhood friend Mark Judge, and others “would participate in the targeting of women with alcohol/drugs in order to allow a ‘train’ of men to subsequently gang rape them.”
Avenatti ended the email, which was sent to the chief counsel for nominations at the Senate Judiciary Committee, by saying that he will be releasing “additional evidence” of the allegations “in the coming days.” In an interview with Politico, Avenatti said he represents multiple people who were witnesses to the events described in his email. One of the people he’s representing could be described as a victim, he said.
On Twitter, Avenatti wrote that he will “be demanding the opportunity to present testimony” to the Senate Judiciary Committee. It’s unclear if that will happen, but a spokesperson for Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley says the committee will attempt to evaluate the claim
(2) Where did that penis come from?
Deborah Ramirez, a classmate of Kavanaugh's at Yale University, says he exposed himself to her at a drunken dormitory party. From
a report at The New Yorker:
As Senate Republicans press for a swift vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court, Senate Democrats are investigating a new allegation of sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh. The claim dates to the 1983-84 academic school year, when Kavanaugh was a freshman at Yale University. The offices of at least four Democratic senators have received information about the allegation, and at least two have begun investigating it. Senior Republican staffers also learned of the allegation last week and, in conversations with The New Yorker, expressed concern about its potential impact on Kavanaugh’s nomination. Soon after, Senate Republicans issued renewed calls to accelerate the timing of a committee vote. The Democratic Senate offices reviewing the allegations believe that they merit further investigation. “This is another serious, credible, and disturbing allegation against Brett Kavanaugh. It should be fully investigated,” Senator Mazie Hirono, of Hawaii, said. An aide in one of the other Senate offices added, “These allegations seem credible, and we’re taking them very seriously. If established, they’re clearly disqualifying.”
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| Deborah Ramirez |
The woman at the center of the story, Deborah Ramirez, who is fifty-three, attended Yale with Kavanaugh, where she studied sociology and psychology. Later, she spent years working for an organization that supports victims of domestic violence.
The New Yorker contacted Ramirez after learning of her possible involvement in an incident involving Kavanaugh. The allegation was conveyed to Democratic senators by a civil-rights lawyer. For Ramirez, the sudden attention has been unwelcome, and prompted difficult choices. She was at first hesitant to speak publicly, partly because her memories contained gaps because she had been drinking at the time of the alleged incident. In her initial conversations with
The New Yorker, she was reluctant to characterize Kavanaugh’s role in the alleged incident with certainty.
After six days of carefully assessing her memories and consulting with her attorney, Ramirez said that she felt confident enough of her recollections to say that she remembers Kavanaugh had exposed himself at a drunken dormitory party, thrust his penis in her face, and caused her to touch it without her consent as she pushed him away. Ramirez is now calling for the F.B.I. to investigate Kavanaugh’s role in the incident. “I would think an F.B.I. investigation would be warranted,” she said. . . .
“I remember a penis being in front of my face,” [Ramirez] said. “I knew that’s not what I wanted, even in that state of mind.” She recalled remarking, “That’s not a real penis,” and the other students laughing at her confusion and taunting her, one encouraging her to “kiss it.” She said that she pushed the person away, touching it in the process. Ramirez, who was raised a devout Catholic, in Connecticut, said that she was shaken. “I wasn’t going to touch a penis until I was married,” she said. “I was embarrassed and ashamed and humiliated.” She remembers Kavanaugh standing to her right and laughing, pulling up his pants. “Brett was laughing,” she said. “I can still see his face, and his hips coming forward, like when you pull up your pants.” She recalled another male student shouting about the incident. “Somebody yelled down the hall, ‘Brett Kavanaugh just put his penis in Debbie’s face,’ ” she said. “It was his full name. I don’t think it was just ‘Brett.’ And I remember hearing and being mortified that this was out there.”
(1) Disrobing Brett Kavanaugh
No matter what happens in the coming days, Christine Blasey Ford long will be known as the woman who figuratively disrobed Brett Kavanaugh, showing him to be something more than an august jurist with a devotion to the law. Ford is set to testify on Thursday before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee about her experiences with Kavanaugh. From
a report at CNN:
Lawyers for Christine Blasey Ford said in a statement on Sunday that she has committed to testifying in an open hearing on Thursday about her allegation of sexual assault against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
The statement from attorneys Debra Katz, Lisa Banks and Michael Bromwich came after a call Sunday with staff for the Senate Judiciary Committee. Kavanaugh has denied the allegations and said he wants to testify before the committee.
"Despite actual threats to her safety and her life, Dr. Ford believes it is important for Senators to hear directly from her about the sexual assault committed against her," the statement read. . . .
The statement from Ford's lawyers noted that she would still testify even though "important procedural and logistical issues remain unresolved" and expressed dissatisfaction that the committee does not plan to subpoena Mark Judge, who Ford said was in the room when Kavanaugh allegedly groped her and tried to remove her clothes during a party in their high school years.
What about Judge No. 2 and the accusations against him? That story is on the verge of breaking. Stay tuned to
Legal Schnauzer.
