A Democratic senator on Friday brandished a 1982 calendar that Brett Kavanaugh provided to establish his innocence – arguing may in fact reveal the Supreme nominee attended a gathering that bolsters accuser Christine Ford’s sexual assault allegation.
Kavanaugh provided the calendar to the Senate Judiciary Committee, which then released it before Thursday’s blockbuster hearing.
While it initially drew some ridicule for its entries marked ‘BEACH WEEK’ and showed him being grounded, the nominee used the document to forcefully argue he was out of town for many of the weekends when the alleged assault could have possibly occurred.
He the assault, which he denies, couldn’t have happened during the week because he and his friends had jobs.
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse spoke Friday about Brett Kavanaugh’s calendar entry – which he said showed a meeting for beers ‘Skis’ that included two people identified by accuser Christine Ford
But on Friday, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island held up a blowup of the calendar – and noted that a Thursday July 1, 1982 entry contained the names of three people Ford said were present during the small gathering where she alleges Kavanaugh tried to force himself on her and covered her mouth in an upstairs bedroom.
That was the calendar date Kavanaugh was questioned about by a Republican-hired prosecutor – who was not heard from again after the exchange in Thursday’s televised hearing.
Ford testified that Kavanaugh, his friend Mark Judge, and P.J. Smyth all were present during the alleged assault. Judge and Smyth have said in statements they don’t recall any party like the one Ford is referring to.
Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh vigorously denied sexual assault allegations
Christine Blasey Ford reacts as she speaks before the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to be an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, U.S., September 27, 2018
The July 1, 1982 entry says ‘Go to Timmy’s for Skis’ and mentions ‘Judge, Tom, PJ, Bernie, and Squi.’
Whitehouse said the calendar cried out for investigation by the FBI.
‘Let me have one example of where investigation might help. Here’s Kavanaugh’s calendar,’ he said, holding up a blowup of the month as well as the July 1 date.
‘Dr. Ford said that Kavanaugh and Judge and P.J. and at least one other boy were all at a house. Well, we know [Brett] Kavanaugh was there because it’s his schedule. And here’s Judge, and here’s P.J. Here are all those three named boys and others at a house together just as she said,’ Whitehouse continued.
‘She said Kavanaugh and judge were drunk. And that she had a beer. “Skis” is brewskies – beer. They were drinking, just as she said. Now, I will concede that the two girls aren’t mentioned. But spot me this. If you had just sexually assaulted one of the two girls, would you add the girls’ names to your calendar? I doubt it.’
Sen. Charles Grasslely said it was ‘the wrong gathering,’ because a total of seven boys attended, not four as Ford initially stated
He continued: ‘This may – may – be powerful corroborating evidence that the assault happened. That it happened that day. And that it happened in that place. But with no FBI investigation, we can’t tell. … It’s the least thing a sexual assault victim is entitled to when she comes forward. The FBI could interview all the attendees, not just to obtain simple denials but to cross check and see if the stories add up. The FBI could see if the house matches the locality and description Dr. Ford gave. The FBI could inquire after and pursue other corroborating or exculpatory evidence. It’s what they do,’ Whitehouse said.
During Thursday’s hearing prosecutor Rachel Mitchell questioned Kavanaugh about the entry about the party.
Kavanaugh furnished his calendars and argued they showed he was out of town most weekends when the alleged assault occurred
A July 1 entry mention’s ‘Judge, Tom, PJ, Bernie, Squi’
‘Anybody who has done any serious investigation knows you don’t stop just with witness statements of interested parties,’ said Whitehouse, a former prosecutor
‘The entry says, and I quote, go to ‘Timmy’s for skis with Judge, Tom, P.J. Bernie and … Squi?’ she said, as the Washington Post reported.
‘Squi. It’s a nickname,’ Kavanaugh responded. ‘To what does this refer, and to whom?’ Mitchell asked.
‘It looks like we went over to Timmy’s. You want to know their last names, too? I’m happy to do it,’ Kavanaugh said.
‘If you could just identify: Is ‘Judge’ Mark Judge?’ Mitchell responded.
‘It is. It’s Tim Gaudette, Mark Judge, Tom Kaine, P.J. Smyth, Bernie McCarthy, Chris Garrett,’ Kavanaugh said.
Kavanaugh denies committing the alleged assault or anything like it in high school or any other time.
Judge and Smyth were the people identified by Ford as being at the party where she alleges she was attacked. She amended her comment Thursday to say there may have been a few other people.
Ford also said under questioning that she went out with a person who appears to be Squi, though she didn’t say his name at that time. ‘”He was somebody that, I will use the phrase ‘I went out with,’ ” Ford said. “I wouldn’t say ‘date.’ I would say ‘went out with’ for a few months. That was how we termed it at the time.”
Ford described the person she dated as her connection to Kavanaugh.
Panel chair Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa was armed with a response to Whitehouse’s statement about the calendar.
He said it showed there were at least seven boys at the party.
‘I think I should try to clarify about the calendar that senator Whitehouse put up there. The entry has six boys listed for July 1st, 1982,’ says Grassley.
‘It says go to Timmy’s house for skis with judge, Tom, P.J., Bernie, and Squi. Dr. Ford said there were four boys there, the calendar entry lists six plus Kavanaugh. That’s seven. That’s the wrong gathering,’ Grassley said.
Following a last-minute compromise prompted by Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, the FBI may get a one week period to investigate Ford’s allegations. They now have a list of people that could be interviewed and a possible date and location to try to investigate the allegations.
Whitehouse used the calendar issue to call for more investigation.
‘Anybody who has done any serious investigation knows you don’t stop just with witness statements of interested parties. You run down corroborating and impeaching evidence. You check and cross check. You ask and go back again. You do the basic blocking and tackling of investigation,’ he said.
‘You cannot tell me Ms. Ford’s allegations weren’t credible,’ Whitehouse continued. ‘They were credible enough to get her before the Senate. And yet she was not given the most basic decent thing that a witness or victim could be given after they come forward. Sincere or thorough investigation. Closing out the background investigation without investigating new credible allegations, not any of three allegations, all from women demonstrably in Kavanaugh’s social circle,’ he added.