Senator Lindsey Graham on Thursday dismissed the statements of two men who contacted the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this week claiming that they, rather than Brett Kavanaugh, might have assaulted Christine Blasey Ford, Kavanaugh’s accuser.
Graham told CBS News that he “doesn’t believe” either of the men’s suggestions that Ford may have mistaken them for Kavanaugh.
“One’s crazy as a loon; I don’t believe the other one. I’m not going to play this game,” said the South Carolina Republican, who sits on the Judiciary Committee.
Ford testified Thursday to the Committee about her claim that Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed, covered her mouth, and tried to remove her clothing at a party when they were both in high school.
One of the men provided the committee on Monday with a written statement and spoke with investigators twice, describing what he said was his recollection of the event, according to a timeline of the investigation released by the Committee. The other man spoke on the phone with investigators.
Graham had previously said that a case of mistaken identity would “get me off the hook from having to make a hard decision.”
“Everything I know about Judge Kavanaugh suggests he’s not this kind of person,” Graham said. “Ms. Ford, there’s no doubt in my mind there was some kind of trauma in her life. But we live in a country where you are presumed innocent, and you have to corroborate accusations of felonies, and there’s no corroboration here.”
Graham said on Sunday that “unless there’s something more” he planned to vote in favor of confirming Kavanaugh to the high court.
Two other women have accused the nominee of sexual assault. Julie Swetnick claimed Kavanaugh and his male friends made a practice of drugging and gang raping girls at high-school parties. Deborah Ramirez said he exposed himself to her at a party during their freshman year at Yale University.
Kavanaugh has categorically denied the allegations, and will testify later on Thursday.