The Intercept first reported on Wednesday that Senator Dianne Feinstein was in possession of a letter accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of some impropriety. On Friday morning, The New Yorker published the details of the claim. The anonymous woman says that at a high school party in the 1980s, Kavanaugh physically assaulted her:
In the letter, the woman alleged that, during an encounter at a party, Kavanaugh held her down, and that he attempted to force himself on her. She claimed in the letter that Kavanaugh and a classmate of his, both of whom had been drinking, turned up music that was playing in the room to conceal the sound of her protests, and that Kavanaugh covered her mouth with his hand. She was able to free herself. Although the alleged incident took place decades ago and the three individuals involved were minors, the woman said that the memory had been a source of ongoing distress for her, and that she had sought psychological treatment as a result.
Kavanaugh denies the allegation, and his classmate told The New Yorker that he didn’t recall the incident. Some Kavanaugh allies promptly dismissed the woman’s claims on Friday:
Wonder if accuser will say she was sober at time of alleged incident at drinking party. If drunk, how drunk? Cognitive dysfunction, impaired memory, mistaken identity, all compounded by 35 years? (I am of course not saying her drunkenness would excuse anyone else's conduct.)
— Ed Whelan (@EdWhelanEPPC) September 14, 2018
.@ChuckGrassley releases a letter from 65 women who knew Kavanaugh in high school (showing Rs knew about this high-school rape allegation.) These women say Kavanaugh “behaved honorably and treated women with respect.”
— John Bresnahan (@BresPolitico) September 14, 2018
The New Yorker’s reporting also calls Feinstein’s behavior into question. The senator sat on the letter rather than disseminate it to colleagues, and it may now be too late for her Democratic colleagues to review it with the scrutiny it deserves.