As Washington watches the highly anticipated testimonies of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and a woman accusing him of sexual misconduct to the Senate Judiciary Committee today, public attention has turned to a third accuser who just stepped forward.
On Wednesday afternoon, Julie Swetnick went public with her allegations against Kavanaugh stemming from high school. Swetnick’s lawyer Michael Avenatti – who also represents porn star Stormy Daniels in her suit against U.S. President Donald Trump – shared her sworn declaration on Twitter and said it had been submitted to the committee for review.
In response, Trump declared that allegations against his Supreme Court pick were “all false to me” during a press conference in New York on Wednesday evening. He also said, however, that his mind could be changed after watching the public hearings.
“I'm going to be watching," he said. "I'm going to see what's said. It's possible they will be convincing. I can be persuaded."
As the future of the country’s highest court hangs in the balance, Kavanaugh and his accusers will be under intense scrutiny from all sides.
Here’s a look at the federal appeals court judge’s accusers and the reactions to their allegations.
Accuser #1: Christine Blasey Ford
Christine Blasey Ford, a college professor in California, was the first to come forward with allegations against Kavanaugh earlier in September. She accused Kavanaugh of forcing her onto a bed, attempting to undress her, and groping her in front of one of his friends at a high school party in Maryland in 1982.
Ford said he was intoxicated at the time and he covered her mouth with his hand when she tried to scream. In prepared testimony released by her lawyers ahead of Thursday’s hearing, Ford said she believed he was going to rape her before she managed to escape.
Kavanaugh’s response:
Soon after Ford’s accusation became public, the Supreme Court nominee denied any wrongdoing in a statement released by the White House.
“I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation. I did not do this back in high school or at any time,” he said.
On Wednesday, Kavanaugh again refuted the accusations against him in a written testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee ahead of the hearing with Ford.
“I am not questioning that Dr. Ford may have been sexually assaulted by some person in some place at some time,” he wrote. “But I have never done that to her or to anyone. I am innocent of this charge.”
Trump’s response:
Careful not to alienate female voters ahead of the November mid-term elections, Trump has been relatively measured in his responses to the allegations against his nominee. Following Ford’s public revelations about Kavanaugh, Trump took to Twitter to share his thoughts on the subject.
“I have no doubt that, if the attack on Dr. Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed with local Law Enforcement Authorities by either her or her loving parents. I ask that she bring those filings forward so that we can learn date, time, and place!” he said.
Accuser #2: Deborah Ramirez
Deborah Ramirez, from Colorado, revealed in an interview published in The New Yorker magazine on Sept. 23 that Kavanaugh exposed himself to her during a drunken encounter at a dormitory party during the 1983-84 academic year when they were both students at Yale University. She claimed that he thrust his penis into her face and forced her to touch it when she pushed it away.
Kavanaugh’s response:
In a statement sent to The New Yorker, the appellate judge denied Ramirez’s accusations against him.
“This alleged event from 35 years ago did not happen. The people who knew me then know that this did not happen, and have said so. This is a smear, plain and simple. I look forward to testifying on Thursday about the truth, and defending my good name—and the reputation for character and integrity I have spent a lifetime building—against these last-minute allegations,” he wrote.
Trump’s response:
During a press conference in New York on Tuesday, the president called the allegations against Kavanaugh a “con game” and attacked Ramirez’s claims.
"The second accuser has nothing," he said. "The second accuser doesn't even know – thinks maybe it was him, maybe not. She admits she was drunk. She admits time lapses."
Accuser #3: Julie Swetnick
In a three-page sworn declaration, Julie Swetnick said she witnessed Kavanaugh “drink excessively and engage in highly inappropriate conduct, including being overly aggressive with girls and not taking ‘No’ for an answer” at high school parties in Maryland.
She also said Kavanaugh was present at a house party where she was drugged and “gang raped.” She did not, however, name him as one of her alleged attackers that night.
Kavanaugh’s response:
Shortly after Swetnick’s allegations became public, Kavanaugh released a statement in which he denied the latest charges against him.
“This is ridiculous and from the Twilight Zone. I don't know who this is and this never happened,” he said.
Trump’s response:
After Swetnick’s lawyer published her statement in a tweet, Trump dismissed Avanatti as a “third rate lawyer who is good at making false accusations, like he did on me and like he is now doing on Judge Brett Kavanaugh.”
“He is just looking for attention and doesn’t want people to look at his past record and relationships - a total low-life!” Trump tweeted.
Other accusations:
According to transcripts from interviews between committee investigators and Kavanaugh, the Supreme Court nominee was asked about two other accusations received by Senate offices. One of the allegations, sent in an anonymous letter to Sen. Cory Gardner, claimed there was an incident in a bar in 1998 when Kavanaugh was working for the independent counsel investigating former President Bill Clinton.
The other accusation alleged Kavanaugh engaged in sexual misconduct in college.
Kavanaugh has denied both of the allegations.
With files from The Associated Press
