The attorneys representing Christine Blasey Ford were scheduled to headline an October 1 fundraiser for Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin but canceled their appearance following a request for comment from CNN.
Debra Katz and Lisa Banks, both attorneys representing the woman who accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault, were listed as headliners in an email invitation for a “cocktails and conversation” fundraiser. The event, which asks attendees to contribute up to $1,000 to Baldwin’s reelection campaign, was scheduled to take place at their law firm, Katz, Marshall & Banks, according to CNN.
Katz said Thursday that the event, which was canceled after she was contacted, was scheduled before Ford retained their services.
“The short answer is this: We did a fundraiser for Senator Baldwin six years ago when [she] ran for the Senate, we supported her then,” Katz told CNN. “We are not going to be doing a fundraiser now. We’re going to be focused on the issues involving the Kavanaugh confirmation process.”
Ford has also hired Ricki Seidman, Joe Biden’s 2008 campaign director, to serve as an adviser as she deals with the fallout from her allegations.
“I believe her and I think she’s very courageous for coming this far,” Seidman told Politico of Ford.
Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley invited Ford to testify publicly Monday but she declined the request, initially saying through Katz that she wouldn’t testify until an FBI investigation was conducted. Katz softened that stance in a letter to the committee Thursday indicating her client would testify some time next week provided Republicans agree to certain conditions and guarantee her safety.