Grassley asks Ford's legal team for records of contacts with Feinstein and Hirono 'in light of recently uncovered information'
by Daniel Chaitin
| October 05, 2018 02:31 AM
| Updated Oct 05, 2018, 02:43 AM
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, wrote a letter to Christine Blasey Ford's lawyers Thursday asking for records and descriptions of communications with the offices of Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Mazie Hirono "in light of recently uncovered information."
The new request, revealed in a late-Thursday press release sent hours after senators got a chance to read the FBI's report on its investigation into the sexual misconduct allegations levied against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, was coupled with Grassley's third attempt to ask Ford's attorneys Debra Katz, Michael Bromwich, and Lisa Banks to share evidence cited as part of their client's claim she was sexually assaulted by the judge when they were teenagers.
"I urge you once again, now for the third time in writing, to turn over the therapy notes, polygraph materials, and communications with The Washington Post that Dr. Ford has relied upon as evidence," Grassley wrote at the end of his letter.
Some of those notes were given to the Washington Post and mentioned in the report last month in which Ford came forward as Kavanaugh's first accuser. Ford's lawyer refused the chairman's request, saying in a letter Wednesday that they would only turn over her therapist's notes and other documents to the FBI if she was interviewed by FBI investigators. Ford, however, was not interviewed, and the FBI completed it's report this week. After speaking to 10 people, the FBI found "no corroboration of the allegations" made by two of Kavanaugh's accusers, including Ford and Deborah Ramirez, according to an executive summary.
"In addition to the evidence I requested in my October 2 letter," Grassley continued in his letter, "in light of recently uncovered information, please turn over records and descriptions of direct or indirect communications between Dr. Ford or her representatives and any of the following: (1) U.S. Senators or their staffs, particularly the offices of Senators Feinstein and Hirono, other than your communications with me and my staff in preparation for the September 27 hearing; (2) the alleged witnesses identified by Dr. Ford (Leland Keyser, Mark Judge, and Patrick “P.J.†Smyth); and (3) Debbie Ramirez, Julie Swetnick, or their representatives."
He did not elaborate further on what "recently uncovered information" might be – the FBI's file has not been released to the public.
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https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/grassley-asks-fords-legal-team-for-records-of-contacts-with-feinstein-and-hirono-in-light-of-recently-uncovered-information
