A look at some of the details of the Kavanaugh case

1. Kavanaugh
Controversy
Zach Smith

2. My research topic is...
The controversy surrounding the newly appointed Supreme Court Justice Brett
Kavanaugh. Before his appointment, multiple allegations were made against him
accusing him of sexual misconduct with no corroborating evidence. The majority
of democrats feel that Kavanaugh should not be permitted to sit on the Supreme
Court because of these allegations, while most Republicans believe that with a
lack of incriminating evidence, it would be unjust to bar him from this seat. I
intend to educate myself on and present the facts of this case in order to come
to a definite conclusion as to whether or not it is right for Kavanaugh to have a
seat on the Supreme Court.

3. History of Allegations
● July 30, 2018 - The first accuser, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, sent a letter to
Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein notifying her in confidence that
Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her while they were both in high school.
Despite Ford’s wishes, this information was leaked to the public on
September 12, 2018.
● September 23, 2018 - Deborah Ramirez, who attended Yale University with
Kavanaugh, publicly accuses him of sexual misconduct at a party.
● September 26, 2018 - A third allegation is made by Julie Swetnick, who
claims she witnessed Kavanaugh participating in gang rapes at parties.

4. Relevant Individuals
● Christine Blasey Ford, Kavanaugh’s first accuser, is a professor of clinical
psychology at Palo Alto University in California. She is the most discussed
accuser, as her allegations are considered more credible than the others.
● Dianne Feinstein is the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee,
and was the first to hear of Ford’s allegations. Feinstein denies leaking any
of Ford’s information to the press.
● Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who was nominated for a seat on the Supreme
Court by President Trump, and was later accused of multiple instances of
sexual assault. He has recently been officially appointed to a seat on the
Supreme Court despite all allegations.

5. Questions I have about the case
1. Why would Leland Keyser, Ford’s lifelong friend whom she claimed was in
attendance of the party at which the incident occurred, deny attending this
party, or ever meeting Kavanaugh to begin with?
2. Who leaked the private information Ford provided Dianne Feinstein to the
press?
3. Can either Kavanaugh or Ford be convicted of perjury?
4. Was the Democratic Party politically motivated when pushing to keep
Kavanaugh off the Supreme Court?

6. A Viewpoint that I disagree with
While Kavanaugh was being investigated, many attempts were made to discredit
him. One such attempt was when The New York Times published an article
based on a police report from 1985 while Kavanaugh was attending Yale
University. The report ultimately states that at a local bar, Kavanaugh may or
may not have thrown ice onto another patron. The article ultimately argues that
because of this, Kavanaugh could not possibly have the temperament to sit on
the Supreme Court. I feel that this information is completely irrelevant because
even if Kavanaugh really did throw ice at someone in a bar once, I don’t feel that
a minor mistake he made in college can be used to discredit the many years
he’s worked to earn that seat on the Supreme Court.

7. Bibliography
Bazelon, Emily, and Ben Protess. “Kavanaugh Was Questioned by Police After Bar Fight in 1985.” The New York Times, The New
York Times, 1 Oct. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/10/01/us/politics/kavanaugh-bar-fight.html.
Kelly, Erin, and Jessica Estepa. “Brett Kavanaugh: A Timeline of Allegations against the Supreme Court Nominee.” USA Today,
Gannett Satellite Information Network, 28 Sept. 2018, www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2018/09/24/brett-kavanaugh-
allegations-timeline-supreme-court/1408073002/.
Scarborough, Rowan. “Leland Keyser Meets with FBI, Doesn't Back Blasey Ford's Story about Kavanaugh.” The Washington Times,
The Washington Times, 2 Oct. 2018, www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/oct/2/leland-keyser-tells-fbi-she-doesnt-know-
kavanaugh-/.
Schallhorn, Kaitlyn. “Who Is Christine Blasey Ford, the Professor Who Accused Brett Kavanaugh of Sexual Misconduct?” Fox News,
FOX News Network, 27 Sept. 2018, www.foxnews.com/politics/who-is-christine-blasey-ford-the-professor-who-accused-brett-
kavanaugh-of-sexual-misconduct.