New Allegations Against Justice Kavanaugh Ignite More Impeachment Controversy

New assault allegations against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh surfaced this week. A New York Times story detailing the new accusations, as well as more details on Deborah Ramirez, another one of Kavanaugh’s accusers, was published on Sunday.

Kavanugh was nominated to the court by President Trump in July of 2018. In September of 2018, the first sexual assault allegation against Kavanugh was published in the Washington Post. 

Kavanaugh testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with his first accuser Christina Blasey Ford. His nomination to the Supreme Court was approved by the Senate by a 50-48 vote in October, along party lines.

The New York Times story was written by Robin Progrebin and Kate Kelly, reporters who authored the upcoming book “The Education of Brett Kavanaugh: An Investigation.” They discovered there were seven witnesses who could have corroborated Ramirez’s story that were not included in the FBI investigation.

Progrebin and Kelly also reported that Ramirez shared the assault to two classmates just days after the party. They claim this suggests the incident had been discussed between other Yale students, which Kavanugh denied in his Senate testimony last fall. 

The story also reported that Ramirez’s lawyer presented the FBI with 25 individuals who could corroborate Ramirez’s story, but none were contacted.

Progrebin and Kelly also found an unreported story in their ten month investigation. Another classmate, Max Stief, allegedly witnessed Kavanaugh pushing his penis to another female student at a different dorm party. Steif reported his account to senators and the FBI, but his claims were never further investigated.

However, the initial article, published in the Times on Sunday, omitted the fact that the women who Stief witnessed with Kavanaugh did not remember the incident. It was only included in the print issue of the New York Times the next day. 

An editor’s note was added to the updated story but why the fact was omitted at first was not included. 

Following this story, many Democrats have called for Kavanuagh’s impeachment. “These newest revelations are disturbing,” Senator Elizabeth Warren tweeted.

Other presidential candidates, including Kamala Harris and Bernie Sanders, are calling for impeachment.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called the newest allegations “a deliberate effort to attack judicial independence,” in a statement on the House floor. “The latest allegation was blasted out by a major newspaper despite the apparent lack of any, any corroborating evidence whatsoever,” he said. 

President Trump also blasted the allegations, saying Kavanaugh was “the one who is actually being assaulted … by lies and fake news.” 

Trump was also unhappy with the New York Times article. “How many stories are wrong? Almost all of the stories the New York Times has done are inaccurate and wrong,” Trump tweeted. He also said Kavanaugh should sue for libel.

Many also believe the allegations are too old to be relevant for deciding on a Supreme Court Justice. Kavanaugh is now 53 years old and the alleged behavior occurred when he was a teenager. “”I do not understand why the loutish, drunken behavior of a 17 year old high school boy has anything to tell us about the character of a 53 year old judge,” The American Conservative editor Rod Dreher tweeted after the initial allegations in 2018.

The recent coverage of allegations can be mentally taxing for survivors of sexual assault. The Hill News sat down with the Social Media Chair for Advocates Martina Leake ’21. 

Leake was frustrated with the news of the allegations. “His confirmation really harmed people, survivors especially,” she said. “It was even more justification for why he shouldn’t have been confirmed to begin with.” Leake also thinks that seeing Kavanaugh back in the news will be triggering for many people. 

Last fall, shirts featuring Christina Blasey Ford with the quote “I Still Believe” were sold by Planned Parenthood Generation Action on campus to raise money for Renewal House, a domestic violence agency in St. Lawrence County. Leake finds this message still relevant, even though Ford’s testimony was a year ago. “Our message was to let survivors know that we stand with them,” she said. “We don’t tolerate that disbelief that people have.” Planned Parenthood Generation Action will be selling the shirts again during people week in October.

Leake wants survivors to know that they are believed on campus. “There are people on this campus who are there to support survivors no matter what time they had their experiences,” she said “Everything they feel is truly valid.” She hopes the Advocates program can be a good resource for survivors with all experiences.

Overall, Leake says believing survivors is important because statistically, survivors don’t lie. “About 98% of people, I believe, to tell the truth,” she said. “Misconceptions about false accusations are really damaging towards survivors because it makes them believe they can share their story.”

St. Lawrence students can reach out the Advocates via the 24 hour hotline at (315) 224-3121, the online chat features, or reach out to any AWARE-trained Advocate.