by Kevin Daley
An unnamed woman has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of attempting to force himself onto her during an non-consensual encounter at a party, one day after Democratic lawmakers released a cryptic statement referring to possible misconduct in the judge’s past.
The allegation, which appeared Friday morning in The New Yorker, relates an incident that occurred in the early 1980s when Kavanaugh was a high school student at Georgetown Preparatory School in Maryland. All involved in the alleged encounter were minors at the time.
According to the report, the woman alleges that Kavanaugh and a male classmate accosted her at a party. She claims Kavanaugh held her down and attempted to force himself onto her while his confidant turned up music which was playing in the room to drown out her protestations. The New Yorker reported that the alleged victim managed to free herself. It is not clear if a sexual liaison took place.
“I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation,” Kavanaugh told said in a statement released by the White House. “I did not do this back in high school or at any time.” The other male involved in the alleged incident separately denied the charge.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced Thursday that she had forwarded allegations concerning Kavanaugh to the FBI. The New Yorker report appears to convey the charges Feinstein uncovered.
Feinstein connected with the woman at issue through Democratic Rep. Anna Eshoo of California, the alleged victim’s congresswoman. Feinstein’s office has been in possession of the allegations since July.
Moments after The New Yorker report was released, a spokesperson for Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley released a letter from 65 women attesting to his good character.
“Through the more than 35 years we have known him, Brett has stood out for his friendship, character, and integrity,” the letter reads. “In particular, he has always treated women with decency and respect. That was true when he was in high school, and it has remained true to this day.”
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Kevin Daley is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation. Follow Kevin on Twitter.
