Grassley Chastises Ford’s Attorney for Refusing to Turn Over Documents

Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley chastised Christine Blasey Ford’s attorney in a letter on Thursday for refusing to turn over documentation requested by the committee.

Ford’s attorneys have responded to Grassley’s multiple requests for documentation — which Ford claims substantiate her allegation — by informing the committee that they will only turn over the documents to the FBI.

“You have claimed repeatedly that the evidence I have requested supports Dr. Ford’s allegations against Judge Kavanaugh,” Grassley wrote.“She even provided some of this evidence to national news organizations. Accordingly, there is no reason for you to not produce the evidence to the Senate. Indeed, if the evidence supported your client’s allegations, you surely would produce it as quickly as you could.”

Grassley went on to insinuate that the refusal to furnish the documents, including Ford’s therapy notes, polygraph results, and correspondence with the Washington Post, did not speak well of her credibility.

“But you have repeatedly refused to produce this evidence to the Senate. In doing so, you are preventing the Senate from considering the evidence most crucial to Dr. Ford’s allegations,” he added.“I don’t know what other inference we should draw from your refusal but that the withheld evidence does not support Dr. Ford’s allegations in quite the way you have claimed.”

Ford’s attorneys said on Wednesday that they would release their client’s therapy notes only to the FBI and only after their client had been interviewed by FBI investigators. The FBI’s supplementary background investigation into Kavanaugh concluded on Wednesday, and it has released a report summarizing the findings to the White House and Senate.

Grassley also requested, for the first time, records and descriptions of communications between Ford’s legal team and the offices of Democratic Senators Dianne Feinstein of California and Mazie Hirono of Hawaii “in light of recently uncovered information.” The letter, which also requests descriptions of communications between Ford’s lawyers and the alleged witnesses, does not elaborate as to what the “recently uncovered information” might be.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell scheduled a key procedural vote for Friday morning and the final confirmation vote is expected to take place Saturday afternoon.