Carly O’Neill
Staff Writer

Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s hearing on the Dr. Christine Blasey Ford sexual assault allegations took place on Thursday, September 27. During the hearing, he continued stonewalling  questions that asked whether he would endorse the reopening of the FBI investigation into his background. This investigation would help shed light on recent sexual assault allegations previously made by three women accusing Kavanaugh.

In order to conduct the FBI investigation, President Donald Trump, who has publicly endorsed Kavanaugh, was required to request the reopening of the investigation.

Judge Kavanaugh voiced in his opening statement that he was open to any investigation, and that he was fully willing to cooperate. In contrast, he was asked multiple times by several different Democratic senators to ask the president to conduct a full FBI investigation to get to the bottom of these accusations; each time he could not answer “yes” or “no,” but rather that he was willing to do whatever the committee wished. He continuously stated, “you’re investigating me now, ask me anything,” while claiming that the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing is just as equivalent as an FBI investigation.

Kavanaugh took a very aggressive tone with the Democrats during his hearing, as he demonstrated in his opening statement when he pointed out that he has consistently been referred to as “evil” by the Democrats. Republicans took their five minute window as an opportunity to defend Kavanaugh, while the Democrats used their time to ask questions and clarify topics brought up in the testimony. Kavanaugh can be seen getting increasingly agitated during some of his responses, as well as shouting over several Democratic senators before they finished asking their questions.

Kavanaugh repeatedly mentioned during his hearing that this traumatic event has ruined his good name, and took a toll on his family that it will follow him for the rest of his career.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley disputed Democratic Senator Dick Durbin’s suggestion to Kavanaugh to suspend the hearing and conduct a full FBI investigation to get to the bottom of these sexual assault allegations. Brett Kavanaugh responded “I will do whatever the committee wants to do because I’m telling the truth,” and once again stated “I am innocent.” Grassley interrupted this questioning to remind the committee that this hearing should serve as an adequate investigation in lieu of an FBI investigation.

The Democrats brought up Kavanaugh’s yearbook on multiple accounts, which describes him as a consistent drinker. They asked him to explain the phrase “Beach Week Ralph Club” which he explained since he is known for his weak stomach, he had thrown up several times from beer consumption, thus the “Ralph” term. The Supreme Court nominee stated several times “I like beer” making it well known that he liked to party with his friends while drinking during his academic career.

Kavanaugh’s yearbook in addition contradicted his claim of being a virgin throughout high school that he had made earlier in the hearing. The book insinuated that he had hooked up with an Anne Daughtery, as it goes on to state “Anne Daughtery’s- I survived the FFFFFFourther of July.” Judge Kavanaugh further explained this phrase “FFFFF,” referring to how his friend would frequently build up to this particular curse word, becoming an inside joke between the two.

The Former White House Staff Secretary presented the court with his documented calendar he had started in his freshman year of high school, taking after his father. He showed the committee he could not have been at the house party professor Christine Ford had previously described as where Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her, in the summer of 1982, since he was out of town.

Overall, Kavanaugh has confirmed under oath and to God that he has not committed any form of sexual assault against Mrs. Ford or any of the other women accusing him of these allegations. He said, “I swear today, under oath, before the Senate and the nation, before my family, and God, I am innocent of this charge.”

On Friday morning the Senate Judiciary Committee voted on party lines to move Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination out of committee and onto the Senate floor.

Republican Senator and crucial swing vote in the Kavanaugh case, Jeff Flake, announced via Twitter Friday morning that would vote to confirm Kavanaugh in the impending final vote. After two female sexual assault victims confronted Flake in an elevator, he later said on Friday that he would withhold his vote until an FBI investigation was conducted.  The FBI then reopened their investigation into Kavanaugh’s background. The White House placed various restrictions on the scope of the investigation, as well as a deadline for its completion prior to the full Senate vote on Friday, October 5.