[C]hristine Blasey Ford, the woman who has accused Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, was scheduled to speak with the FBI Friday afternoon about death threats made against her. That development follows release of a letter Thursday from Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy and nine other Democrats urging the FBI to begin an investigation into those reports.
The interview would be limited to the alleged threats and not extend to the assault allegations.
In the letter sent to FBI Director Christopher Wray, the Democratic senators called for an immediate investigation into possible federal crimes committed against Ford, a research psychologist at Palo Alto University in California, since her accusation against Kavanaugh was made public in an interview Sunday.
“We are requesting immediate action by the Bureau to investigate potential federal crimes against Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, which appear intended to intimidate a witness in relation to the Supreme Court nomination hearing of Judge Brett Kavanaugh,” senators wrote in the letter referencing reports of alleged death threats and cyberattacks on Ford’s personal email.
In the letter, the senators recommended the FBI investigate whether there has been “obstruction of proceedings before committees” or witness intimidation committed against Ford. The letter was also careful to point out an investigation into these crimes is “squarely within the duty of the Bureau and does not require a referral from the White House or any administration officials.”
In what some viewed as an attempt to pressure the FBI into indirectly investigating the sexual assault allegations, the senators wrote that because the federal crimes appear intended to intimidate Ford and prevent her from testifying against Kavanaugh, the FBI could discover facts “not within the FBI’s investigative jurisdiction.” In such a case, the FBI “must promptly transmit the information or refer the complaint to a law enforcement agency having jurisdiction” or “provide such information to “Congress or to congressional committees.” the letter said.
In an interview Friday with VTDigger, Leahy said that U.S. Marshals Service investigators are also meeting with Kavanaugh and his family to review threats made against them.
Earlier this week, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, announced the panel would hear from both Ford and Kavanaugh during a public hearing Monday but that there would be no FBI investigation.
Grassley said in a statement Tuesday night he did not believe the FBI needs to investigate because Ford’s “testimony would reflect her personal knowledge and memory of events” and “nothing the FBI or any other investigator does would have any bearing on what Dr. Ford tells the committee, so there is no reason for any further delay.”
On Thursday, lawyers representing Ford wrote in a statement to the New York Times that she hopes to testify as long as they can “agree on terms that are fair and which ensure her safety,” but that a “hearing on Monday is not possible, and the committee’s insistence that it occur then is arbitrary.”
The lawyers also wrote that Ford’s “strong preference continues to be for the Senate Judiciary Committee to allow for a full investigation prior to her testimony.”
Ford reportedly wants the Judiciary Committee to subpoena witnesses and for Kavanaugh to testify first, but Senate Republicans have been unwilling to agree to those conditions. This has led to a stalemate over what exactly will happen next week and put into question a confirmation that had appeared all but certain.
The Thursday letter was the third this week that Leahy and Democratic committee members have written in an attempt to delay the proceedings.
On Monday they urged Grassley to postpone the committee vote, that had been scheduled for Thursday, until the FBI investigated the sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh.
On Tuesday Leahy sent a letter to White House counsel Don McGahn, asking for information about McGahn’s knowledge of the sexual assault allegations before they were made public.
CNN reported late Friday afternoon that the Judiciary Committee had proposed moving the hearing to next Wednesday when it would hear from both Kavanaugh and Ford. A deadline for Ford’s legal team to respond to the Senate Republicans’ proposal for the hearing was extended from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., the network said, citing two unnamed congressional sources.