You don’t have to be a detective to see what’s going on here with Judge Brett Kavanaugh. President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee has been engulfed in controversy, as multiple women have lobbed sexual misconduct allegations against him. They’re serious allegations, but they’re also without evidence or corroborating witnesses. The New York Times has been unable to corroborate two of the three stories the accusers have brought forward. They’re all unprovable—and that’s the point. It allows this character assassination to marinate in the news cycle and place pressure on Republicans to delay further hearings until an investigation can be conducted, and investigation that the Senate Judiciary Committee is more than capable of handling. Democrats want the FBI to help them do their dirty work, despite that fact that FBI reports on sexual misconduct are never conclusive; hence they can’t be relied on. Then-Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) hit this home during the Clarence Thomas hearings. Yeah, another Biden moment gutted a Democratic talking point.
The first accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, alleges that a drunken 17-year-old Kavanaugh tried to sexually assault her at a high school party. The third woman, Julie Swentick, alleges that Kavanaugh was part of a gang-rape squad (via NBC News):
The woman, Julie Swetnick, said that she was the victim of one of these gang rapes in approximately 1982. She did not allege that Kavanaugh participated in the rape, but said he and his friend Mark Judge were present when it occurred, adding that she was incapacitated by a drug placed in her drink without her consent and was unable to fight off her attackers.
She also said she saw Kavanaugh and Judge lined up at other parties "waiting for their 'turn' with a girl inside the room."
[…]
In a sworn declaration released by Avenatti, Swetnick said she attended a public high school near Georgetown Prep, where Kavanaugh was a student. (Avenatti said she graduated in 1980.) She said she met Kavanaugh and Judge at a house party in the area in approximately 1980-81.
Swetnick said that she attended more than 10 parties with Kavanaugh and Judge between 1981 and 1983. "I witnessed Brett Kavanaugh consistently engage in excessive drinking and inappropriate contact of a sexual nature with women during the early 1980s," she said.
She added that they “engaged in highly inappropriate conduct, including being overly aggressive with girls and not taking “no” for an answer. This conduct included the fondling and grabbing of girls without their consent."
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Kavanaugh high school friends’ letter to Grassley re: #3 accuser - “We never witnessed any behavior that even approaches what is described in this allegation. It is reprehensible. ... we do not recall having ever met someone named Julie Swetnick.”
— Shannon Bream (@ShannonBream) September 26, 2018
To review the Avenatti claim: a woman claims that when she was a college aged adult (graduated high school in 1980), she went to high school parties where high school girls were drugged and raped and she, as the adult present, did nothing but avoid the punch.
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) September 26, 2018
According to her letter:
— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) September 26, 2018
•Swetnick was in COLLEGE
•She went to HIGH SCHOOL parties
•Girls were drugged and gang raped
•She watched it all happen
•She kept going back to those high school parties 10+ times
•She never reported any of this
•She is now 37 years later
??
Avenatti has done such a disservice to the #MeToo movement. We have gone from some initial strong cases (ie, Weinstein), to absolutely wild claims that a woman witnessed boys spiking drinks and lining up to "gang rape," and not only didn't report it, but kept going back. Absurd.
— Kimberley Strassel (@KimStrassel) September 26, 2018
The New York Times could not corroborate this story. Like with the rest of them, no evidence, and no witnesses. Also, the fact that someone would go back to multiple gang-rape parties is just absurd. Swetnick was college-aged at the time, she was attending high school parties where all of this alleged debauchery was going on…and she kept coming back? Swetnick’s lawyer is Michael Avenatti, who is keeping her from giving interviews, by the way. Ford’s anti-Trump lawyer is Debra Katz. The legal teams for the first the third accusers, Avenatti and Katz share something: Swetnick is a client of both. Also, Swentick has a history of lobbing complaints against people (via WSJ) [emphasis mine]:
Public records reveal a handful of instances in which Ms. Swetnick filed complaints against others, or been the subject of them. Mr. Avenatti didn’t respond to a request for comment.
In 1993, she filed a criminal harassment complaint with state prosecutors in Maryland against a podiatrist and his wife, alleging repeated phone calls, according to court records, but the case was withdrawn two months after it was filed.
In 2001, Ms. Swetnick was the defendant in a domestic-violence case filed by Richard Venneccy in Miami-Dade County, Fla. The case was dismissed when both parties failed to appear in court in March of that year, according to court documents reviewed by the Journal.
Roughly a decade ago, Ms. Swetnick was involved in a dispute with her former employer, New York Life Insurance Co., over a sexual-harassment complaint she filed, according to people familiar with the matter. Representing her in the complaint was the firm run by Debra Katz, the lawyer currently representing Dr. Ford. The company ultimately reached a financial settlement with Ms. Swetnick, the people said.
A spokesman for New York Life confirmed that Ms. Swetnick worked there as an agent for less than two years, from 2006 to 2008. She didn’t list her work there on a résumé posted online.
A spokeswoman for Ms. Katz declined to comment.
Ford also took a polygraph, which has its issues as well. Polygraph and retaining a lawyer—these are the actions of someone who was ready to go public despite reports to the contrary. Ford wrote a letter detailing the incident to Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s (D-CA) office, Feinstein sits on the letter for weeks, and dropping it when it became clear Kavanaugh would be confirmed. It was a zero hour bombshell, which NBC reporter Jonathan Allen said had a “deep state feel” to it. The shoddy allegation was buckling, the GOP was accommodating, and then more unsubstantiated and unverifiable allegations are hurled at Kavanaugh. The delay game is what they’re playing. The destruction of a man’s life is what’s playing out here. There is nothing to suggest Kavanaugh is a sexual predator. Again, these accusers can’t find a single witness to back up their accusations. Those listed as potential witnesses have refuted their claims. Republicans know what’s going on, but time is running out. So, what do you think that the Katz-Avenatti connection? Is this a coincidence? Is this…collusion? Regardless, it adds to the perception that this is a well-orchestrated political character assassination. And what’s transpired over the past few days suggests that this isn’t a crazy point of view.
Dr. Ford's polygraph letter contradicts letter she sent to Feinstein. Polygraph letter says "4 boys and a couple of girls" were at party. Letter to Feinstein says "me and four others." No way to reconcile the two—irrespective of whether she's counting herself in polygraph letter. pic.twitter.com/aWJ10vTDna
— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) September 26, 2018
This is important. And remember, therapist notes said four boys in the room. These are basic details, which she cannot seem to keep consistent. https://t.co/JriQbWj2ML
— Kimberley Strassel (@KimStrassel) September 26, 2018
Last, let’s not forget that Swentick is a bit of a train wreck as well. Her ex-boyfriend filed a restraining order against her (via Politico):
A Miami-Dade County court docket shows a petition for injunction against Swetnick was filed March 1, 2001, by her former boyfriend, Richard Vinneccy, who told POLITICO Wednesday the two had dated for four years before they broke up.
[…]
According to Vinneccy, Swetnick threatened him after they broke up and even after he got married to his current wife and had a child.
“Right after I broke up with her, she was threatening my family, threatening my wife and threatening to do harm to my baby at that time,” Vinneccy said in a telephone interview with POLITICO. "I know a lot about her.”
"She’s not credible at all,” he said. “Not at all.”
Every allegation is full of holes. They’re all razor thin in terms of credibility, and there’s no further evidence or witnesses. Democrats are playing to win. Republicans want to do the right thing. When it comes to winning or doing the right thing, you must choose between the two—you cannot have both. Republicans have the chance to tilt the Court in a conservative direction for the next generation. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. They cannot squander it, especially since Kavanaugh is eminently qualified to be our next jurist. It’s time to get out of the trenches, fix bayonets, and take no prisoners. The GOP needs to get tough, get nasty, and get on a war footing. They have more to lose than just seats this cycle. Republicans, even die-hard skeptics of the man, showed up and voted for Trump in 2016 over Supreme Court nominees and judges. The GOP cannot cave to the odious social justice warrior social media mobs in this fight. Get this man confirmed. Period.
Absurd. Absurd. Absurd. It really is the only word for this afternoon, and latest claims. Well, maybe also: Ludicrous. Insane.
— Kimberley Strassel (@KimStrassel) September 26, 2018
It is astonishing press is even reporting this stuff.
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