Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has incorrectly stated multiple times that he was legally allowed to consume beer as a prep school senior in Maryland.
Kavanaugh’s drinking has come under intense scrutiny after California professor Dr. Christine Blasey Ford alleged that a heavily intoxicated Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her while they were both teenagers at a Maryland house party during the summer of 1982.
The legal drinking age in that state was raised to 21 on July 1, 1982, before Kavanaugh turned 18 on February 12, 1983.
Kavanaugh, who incorrectly made the claim in testimony on Thursday before the Senate Judiciary Committee, has denied Ford’s assault accusations, as well as those of more recent accusers, Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnik.
The Senate Judiciary Committee will conduct the first procedural vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination on Friday at 1.30pm ET.
Brett Kavanaugh has repeatedly said that he was legally allowed to consume beer as a prep school senior in Maryland, but he turned 18 after the legal drinking age was raised to 21; Kavanaugh is pictured here while testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington, DC on Friday
The Senate Judiciary Comittee’s vote formalizes the committee’s recommendation whether Kavanaugh should be appointed to the Supreme Court, before the full Senate vote, to come later.
The motion to commence with the final steps in the nomination confirmation process rather than wait for an FBI investigation into the claims brought forward by Ford, Ramirez and Swetnik passed by a vote of 11-8.
Ford and Kavanaugh both testified on Thursday before the committee related to his alleged sexual assault of her, while she said Mark Judge was in the room.
Renate Dolphin, who signed a letter in support of US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, has learned there was a running joke ‘about hooking up with her’ in his high school yearbook; Kavanaugh’s personal page in the yearbook is shown here with ‘Renate Alumnius’
Dr. Christine Blasey Ford (left) has stated repeatedly that Kavanaugh (right) pinned her to a bed and covered her mouth with such force that she feared he might accidentally kill her, as he tried to remove her clothing while his friend watched, during a party in high school; Kavanaugh has denied that claim
Ford has stated repeatedly that Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed and covered her mouth with such force that she feared he might accidentally kill her, as he tried to remove her clothing while his friend watched, during a party in high school.
Ford conducted herself with decorum and maintained a professional demeanor throughout her testimony.
Kavanaugh became emotional, visibly crying and often raising his voice. He repeatedly talked over senators as they asked him questions. On multiple occasions he responded to direct questions by asking questions back at the senators.
Last week, a second sexual misconduct allegation came to light against Kavanaugh by Deborah Ramirez.
Ramirez stated that the nominee exposed himself to her, putting his penis near her face and ultimately forcing her to touch it without her consent during his freshman year at Yale University, at some time in the 1983-84 academic year, as reported by the New Yorker.
Additional sexual assault and misconduct allegation came to light against Kavanaugh by Julie Swetnik (left) and Deborah Ramirez (right), respectively
And on Wednesday, Julie Swetnik alleged in a sworn statement that she saw Kavanaugh at multiple house parties in the Washington, DC area between 1981-83, where she witnessed him and Judge engaging in conduct that included the ‘fondling and grabbing of girls without their consent.’
Swetnik also implied that Kavanaugh may have participated in multiple ‘gang rapes’ by ‘running a train’ on women at these parties.
Swetnik said that Kavanaugh was present at a party where such an incident happened to her, personally, in approximately 1982.
Kavanaugh has denied each of these allegations.
On Wednesday, Swetnik alleged in a sworn statement that she saw Kavanaugh at multiple house parties in the Washington, DC area between 1981-83, where she witnessed him and Judge engaging in conduct that included the ‘fondling and grabbing of girls without their consent’
Swetnik also implied that Kavanaugh may have participated in multiple ‘gang rapes’ by ‘running a train’ on women at these parties
Swetnik said that Kavanaugh was present at a party where ‘a “gang” or “train rape”‘ happened to her, personally, in approximately 1982
At least two other allegations were brought to the committee, Senator Lindsay Graham said on Friday.
One was anonymous, and the other, Graham said, was ‘not true.’
Renate Dolphin, one of 65 women who signed a letter in support of Kavanaugh learned this week that there was a running joke that seemed to imply he had ‘hooked up’ with her in his high school yearbook.
Renate Dolphin, one of 65 women who signed a letter in support of Kavanaugh, learned this week of multiple ‘Renate Alumnius’ references in Kavanaugh’s senior yearbook.
Renate Dolphin, one of 65 women who signed a letter in support of Kavanaugh learned this week that there was a running joke that seemed to imply he had ‘hooked up’ with her in his high school yearbook; Dolphin is shown here in a photo from her 1983 senior yearbook
‘I can’t begin to comprehend what goes through the minds of 17-year-old boys who write such things, but the insinuation is horrible, hurtful and simply untrue. I pray their daughters are never treated this way. I will have no further comment,’ Dolphin said; Dolphin is pictured here in a recent, undated photo
Dolphin attended an all-girls high school near Georgetown Preparatory School, the all-boys high school Kavanaugh attended in North Bethesda, Maryland.
‘I learned about these yearbook pages only a few days ago. I don’t know what “Renate Alumnus” actually means,’ Dolphin said in a statement to the New York Times.
‘I can’t begin to comprehend what goes through the minds of 17-year-old boys who write such things, but the insinuation is horrible, hurtful and simply untrue. I pray their daughters are never treated this way. I will have no further comment.’
Kavanaugh denies the ‘Renate Alumnius’ refers to anything overtly sexual.
‘Judge Kavanaugh and Ms. Dolphin attended one high school event together and shared a brief kiss good night following that event,’ Kavanaugh’s lawyer Alexandra Walsh, told the Times. ‘They had no other such encounter.’
Dolphin however, refutes that account, telling the Times through her lawyer:
‘I think Brett must have me confused with someone else, because I never kissed him.’
Kavanaugh was one of 13 graduating seniors who referred to Dolphin in some way in their Georgetown Prep senior yearbook.
Four of those men have released a statement explaining the ‘Renate Alumnus’ references away as ‘intended to allude to innocent dates or dance partners and were generally known within the community of people involved for over 35 years,’ stating that the comments were ‘never controversial.’
However, Dolphin said she only just learned of the quotes throughout the senior yearbook, on her peers’ personal pages.
The references shed light into the mindset of a high school and soon-to-be-college-aged Kavanaugh, during the times when he is now accused of committing sexual assault and misconduct, which he denies.
Several members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and other senators have called for an FBI investigation into the claims against Kavanaugh.
When asked if Kavanaugh would support such an investigation, Kavanaugh did not give a straight answer on Thursday, instead saying he would do whatever the committee wanted.