The woman accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her proposed appearing next Thursday to testify to Congress about her claim on, her attorneys said.
Lawyers for Christine Blasey Ford, who has accused Kavanaugh of attempting to rape her at an alcohol-saturated teen party in the early 1980s when they were both minors in high school, negotiated the conditions of her testimony with Senate Judiciary Committee staffers in a conference call late Thursday.
The Palo Alto University psychology professor does not want to be in the same room with Kavanaugh at any point, her representation said, and she wants the nominee to testify ahead of her.
“As you are aware, she has been receiving death threats, which have been reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and she and her family have been forced out of their home. She wishes to testify, provided that we can agree on terms that are fair and ensure her safety,” her attorney Debra Katz wrote earlier this week.
The Judiciary Committee originally proposed next Monday for Ford to testify, but her lawyers said that date was “not possible.” Republican Chairman Chuck Grassley has made several offers in the interest of Ford’s comfort, including sending committee staff to interview her in California where she resides, allowing her to choose either public or private testimony, and having female Republican aides interview her since every Republican on the committee is male.
Ford previously requested that the FBI investigate her claim before she would testify, but the bureau declined, saying there was no potential federal crime involved.
Kavanaugh has categorically denied the accusations, and said he is ready to testify on Monday, according to a letter to Grassley.
“I continue to want a hearing as soon as possible, so that I can clear my name,” he wrote.