Michael Avenatti, the lawyer representing Julie Swetnick, the third woman to accuse Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct, has maintained that his client is telling the truth as the FBI has reportedly been told by the White House to exclude her from its investigation.
In a sworn declaration to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, Swetnick said she had seen Kavanaugh at ‘well over 10 house parties’ in the early 1980s when he was a student at Georgetown Preparatory, and that on numerous occasions he would ‘drink excessively and engage in highly inappropriate conduct,’ including ‘fondling and grabbing of girls without their consent’.
However, the White House has reportedly blocked the FBI from investigating Swetnick’s claims as officials work to limit the scope of the probe reopened by Trump Friday evening.
On Saturday Avenatti tweeted: ‘We have yet to hear from the FBI. When and if we do, we will promptly disclose to them all information and witnesses in our possession.
‘We continue to request this opportunity as we have been doing for days. My client is telling the truth and deserves to be heard and not shammed.’
Michael Avenatti, the lawyer representing the third woman to accuse Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct, maintains that his client Julie Swetnick is telling the truth as the White House has reportedly ordered the FBI to excluded her from its investigation
In a sworn declaration to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, Swetnick (left) claimed to have seen Kavanaugh (right) ‘drink excessively and engage in highly inappropriate conduct,’ including ‘fondling and grabbing of girls without their consent’ at ‘well over 10 house parties’ in the early 1980s when he was a student at Georgetown Preparatory
The White House counsel’s office has reportedly provided FBI investigators with a list of witnesses they are permitted to interview as part of the week-long probe, sources within the administration told NBC on the condition of anonymity.
Not on that list, the insiders said, is Swetnick.
Avenatti responded to the NBC report in a tweet that said: ‘If true, this is outrageous.
‘Why are Trump and his cronies in the Senate trying to prevent the American people from learning the truth? Why do they insist on muzzling women with information submitted under penalty of perjury? Why Ramirez but not my client?’
In another tweet he wrote: ‘It is critically important that the public be informed of any hidden effort to limit the scope of the FBI investigation.
‘The scope should be unlimited and the FBI should be tasked with determining whether an allegation is credible – as they do every day in this country.’
An official briefed on the matter told NBC its not unusual for the White House to set the parameters of an FBI background check for a presidential nominee.
The FBI has had no choice but to agree to the administration’s terms, sources said, because it is conducting the background investigation on behalf of the White House.
Should Swetnick’s claims be left out, the FBI’s investigation will focus specifically on allegations from Christine Blasey Ford and Deborah Ramirez.
A lawyer for Ramirez confirmed Saturday that his client – who alleges that Kavanaugh exposed his penis to her during a drunken party at a Yale University dormitory when they were undergraduates – will cooperate fully with FBI agents.
‘We can confirm the FBI has reached out to interview Ms. Ramirez and she has agreed to cooperate with their investigation,’ attorney John Clune said in a tweet.
‘Out of respect for the integrity of the process, we will have no further comment at this time.’
Kavanaugh has staunchly denied allegations from Ford, Ramirez and Swetnick.
The White House has reportedly instructed FBI agents to limit the Kavanaugh probe to allegations made by Christine Blasey Ford, who testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee this week (left), and a second accuser, Deborah Ramirez (right)
Speaking to reporters on the White House lawn on Saturday, Trump expressed confidence in his nominee and in the investigative process.
‘I would expect it’s going to turn out very well for the judge,’ he said just before departing for a rally in West Virginia. ‘There’s never been anybody that’s been looked at like Judge Kavanaugh.’
The president added that he hasn’t come up with a backup plan concerning the nomination because he believes he won’t need one.
Amid reports of the White House tightening the reins on the investigation, Trump said: ‘The FBI I believe is doing a really great job.
‘They have been all over already. They have free rein. They’re going to do whatever they have to do, whatever it is they do.
‘They’ll be doing things that we’ve never even thought of, and hopefully at the conclusion everything will be fine.’
Trump also said the probe could end up being a ‘blessing in disguise’ if the allegations are revealed to be a plot hatched by the Democrats, as many Republicans have speculated.
Trump expressed confidence in his nominee and in the investigative process on Saturday before heading to a rally in West Virginia, saying of the probe: ‘I would expect it’s going to turn out very well for the judge’