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The <keyword id="3949075" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="temporary-suspension">temporary suspension</keyword> of H-1B and other non-immigrant visas by President Donald Trump will "disproportionately" impact high-skilled workers from <keyword id="21718" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Asia">Asia</keyword> as well as harm the American businesses that rely on immigrant workers, US lawmakers have said. In a huge blow to Indian IT professionals eyeing the US job market, Trump signed a proclamation on Monday suspending the most sought-after H-1B visas along with other types of foreign work visas until the end of 2020 to protect American workers in a crucial election year. The new restrictions take effect from Wednesday. "This (the suspension of visas) will disproportionately impact high-skilled workers from Asia, who overwhelming utilise the H1-B visa system and account for over 80 per cent of H1-B visa holders in the United States," Congresswoman Judy Chu, chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, said on Tuesday. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China. "It's a purely xenophobic and bigoted agenda that actually works against our national interest," Chu said. She underlined that immigrants are vital to the US economy and are needed not only in the agriculture and medicine sectors, but also in business, academia, and "everything in between as well". "If we want to rebuild our economy in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, we cannot close ourselves off from immigrants. The President's order puts his own election-year politics over the needs of our country," Chu said. "Worse, by stoking xenophobia and furthering the <keyword id="960529" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="false-impression">false impression</keyword> that immigrants take away American jobs, the President's order is putting immigrants at risk at a time when hate crimes are spiking. This order divides our country at a moment when we need to be rebuilding. I'm strongly opposed to the Trump administration's continued attacks on our legal immigration system," she said. According to Congressman Jerrold Nadler, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, the visa suspension order is both an "abuse" of the president's executive power and a "politically motivated" attempt to shift blame. Trump's "relentless anti-immigrant agenda is not only immoral, it harms the American businesses that rely on immigrant workers", he said. The visas which are temporarily suspended include L-1 visas for intracompany transfers, H-1Bs for workers in specialty occupations as well as the H-4 visa for spouses, H-2Bs for temporary non-agricultural workers and most J-1 visas for exchange visitors. The new rules would apply only to those who are outside the US, do not have a valid non-immigrant visa and an official travel document other than a visa to enter the country. In a joint statement, Nadler and Immigration and Citizenship Chair Zoe Lofgren said Trump is once again abusing the law in an attempt to distract the American public from his abject failure to combat Covid-19. "Rather than leading us into a stable period of economic recovery -- one that brings real, sustainable jobs to the American public -- he tries to shift blame and return to his favourite political ploy of targeting and scapegoating immigrants," said the two Democratic Congressman. Congresswoman Anna G Eshoo said the president's decision unfairly blames immigrants for America's cascading economy and will only harm the nation's long-term economic recovery, growth and competitiveness. "I represent the heart of Silicon Valley, which leads the world in innovation. Nearly one in three of my constituents was born outside of the US and they are essential to our nation's success," the Democratic lawmaker said. Congressman Filemon Vela said the suspension will affect high-skilled workers, seasonal workers, spouses of high-skilled immigrants, researchers, scholars, and company executives seeking to transfer to the US from positions abroad with the same employer. Noting that immigrants are essential to positive economic growth in the US, he said, "Texas alone is home to about 10 per cent of all green card holders...the state will likely be impacted the hardest after New York.Experts predict the long-term ramifications of this decision will not only stifle the nation's ability to attract top global talent, but also hurt America's greatest asset – its diversity." A green card, officially known as a Permanent Resident Card, allows a foreigner to live and work permanently in the United States. Meanwhile, Congressman Mo Brooks praised Trump's action. “I'm also pleased President Trump refused to cave to intense pressure from the US Chamber of Commerce and other special interest groups that, out of greed and self-interest, had the hutzpah to demand the importation of even more cheap foreign labour despite the severe damage done to struggling, jobless American families,” he said. Congressman Lance Gooden said H-1B visas and similar guest worker programmes are unnecessary when 45 million Americans are out of work due to the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> pandemic. While defending his move, President Trump had noted that the overall unemployment rate in the US nearly quadrupled between February and May of 2020 -- producing some of the most extreme unemployment rates ever recorded by <keyword id="9453981" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-bureau-of-labour-statistics">the Bureau of Labour Statistics</keyword>. While the rate of 13.3 per cent unemployment in May reflects a marked decline from April, millions of Americans remain out of work. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/sundar-pichai-satya-nadella-indra-nooyi-and-even-melania-trump-entered-the-us-on-the-same-h-1b-visa-that-donald-trump-is-suspending/articleshow/76531744.cms">Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, Indra Nooyi and even Melania Trump entered the US on the same H-1B visa that Donald Trump's suspending</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/googles-sundar-pichai-facebook-and-amazon-heres-how-american-companies-reacted-to-donald-trumps-h1-b-visa-freeze/articleshow/76522530.cms">Google’s Sundar Pichai, Facebook and Amazon — here’s how American companies reacted to Donald Trump’s H1-B visa freeze</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/us-president-donald-trump-to-suspend-h1b-visas-will-not-affect-those-already-in-the-states/articleshow/76492270.cms">US President Donald Trump to suspend H1B visas, will not affect those already in the states</a>

H-1B visa suspension will 'disproportionately' impact high-skilled workers from Asia

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Andrew Harnik/Pool via ReutersSen. Dianne Feinstein during a confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Senator Dianne Feinstein pushed back on accusations that she purposefully withheld Christine Blasey Ford's allegation of sexual misconduct against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh for political purposes. </li><li>"Mr. Chairman, let me be clear. I did not hide Dr. Ford's allegations. I did not leak her story," Feinstein said. "She asked me to hold it confidential and I kept it confidential as she asked.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/brett-kavanaugh-christine-blasey-ford-senate-hearing-testimony-2018-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Catch up with everything that happened during the historic hearings here.</a></li></ul>Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, pushed back on Sen. Ted Cruz's accusation that she purposefully withheld Christine Blasey Ford's allegation of sexual misconduct against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh for political purposes. Cruz railed against his Democratic colleagues and blasted Feinstein for, in his view, "engaging in a profoundly unfair process" by not referring Ford's allegations to the FBI. Cruz also accused her staff of leaking Ford's letter to Feinstein's office laying out the allegations to the press.Ford initially sent a letter to her congresswoman, Rep. Anna Eshoo, which was then sent to Feinstein in July. In the accusation, Ford claimed Kavanaugh attempted to sexually assault her at a house party in the summer of 1982.Ryan Grim, the reporter from The Intercept who first obtained and publicly wrote about the contents of the letter while keeping Ford anonymous, <a href="https://twitter.com/ryangrim/status/1045441295282556928" target="_blank" rel="noopener">denied on Twitter</a> that one of Feinstein's staffers had leaked it to him. Feinstein asked for a point of personal privilege to respond to Cruz, where she explained the rationale for not sharing the allegations with her Republican colleagues or to the public.Republicans have routinely accused Feinstein for sitting on Ford's allegations for six weeks after receiving them, and accused her of weaponizing it to torpedo Kavanaugh's nomination for political purposes. "Mr. Chairman, let me be clear. I did not hide Dr. Ford's allegations. I did not leak her story," she said. "She asked me to hold it confidential and I kept it confidential as she asked. She apparently was stalked by the press, felt that what happened, she was forced to come forward, and her greatest fear was realized. She's been harassed."Feinstein criticized her Republican colleagues for not calling any additional witnesses other than Kavanaugh and Ford, including any of the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/leland-ingham-keyser-pj-smyth-who-christine-blasey-ford-says-was-at-party-kavanaugh-judge-2018-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">three people Ford says were at the party. </a>During the hearing, Feinstein checked with nearby staffers sitting behind her and disputed the notion that anyone from her staff leaked out Ford's letter. Feinstein suggested it was possible that friends Ford had confided with could have leaked it. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-trump-maga-hat-factory-california-make-america-great-again-2018-8">Inside the Trump 'MAGA' hat factory</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Sen. Dianne Feinstein denies withholding Christine Blasey Ford's allegations against Brett Kavanaugh for political reasons

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="https://www.gettyimages.com/license/1027859732">Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images</a></div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>California Sen. Dianne Feinstein referred a letter about Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh to the FBI.</li><li>The letter reportedly details an incident when Kavanaugh was in high school.</li><li>A woman alleges that in the early 1980s, when Kavanaugh was in high school, he attempted to force himself on her.</li><li>Kavanaugh denied the allegation.</li><li>The FBI added the letter to Kavanaugh's background file.</li></ul>WASHINGTON - New information emerged on Friday about the letter Sen. Dianne Feinstein referred to federal investigators regarding President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh.Feinstein <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dianne-feinstein-brett-kavanaugh-letter-fbi-2018-9">sent a letter</a> to the FBI on Thursday after having kept its content secret, even from fellow Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which detail an allegation against Kavanaugh while he was a teenager in the Washington, DC, area.While the letter itself was known of publicly for several days, <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/a-sexual-misconduct-allegation-against-the-supreme-court-nominee-brett-kavanaugh-stirs-tension-among-democrats-in-congress">The New Yorker revealed</a> what it said. The letter, written by an unidentified woman, claims that while at a high school party as teenagers, Kavanaugh pinned the woman down and forced himself on her. The letter also claims that a male friend of Kavanaugh's turned up music volume in the room to drown out any noise, according to The New Yorker.Kavanaugh denied the allegation in a statement, and a classmate of his told the New Yorker he had "no recollection" of it occurring. "I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation," Kavanaugh said. "I did not do this back in high school or at any time."Feinstein had previously withheld the letter after receiving it from California Rep. Anna Eshoo, concealing its contents from other members of the committee, including Democrats.After Feinstein briefed Democrats on the Judiciary Committee, she sent the letter to federal investigators and publicly acknowledged doing so in a statement. The FBI then added the letter to Kavanaugh's background file.The White House condemned the secrecy of the letter as a last ditch attempt to derail Kavanaugh's nomination."Throughout 25 years of public service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has thoroughly and repeatedly vetted Judge Kavanaugh, dating back to 1993, for some of the most highly sensitive roles. He has served in the Office of Independent Counsel, the White House, and on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, all before his nomination earlier this year to serve as Associate Justice on the Supreme Court," White House spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said on Thursday. "Senator Schumer promised to 'oppose Judge Kavanaugh's nomination with everything I have,' and it appears he is delivering with this 11th hour attempt to delay his confirmation." <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/yifang-mudflip-taiwan-bubble-tea-brand-opens-in-london-2018-8">This Taiwanese tea is so popular in London that it's only sold twice a day and is limited to 1 per person</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

New details are emerging about a woman's allegation against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in a secret letter

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Michael Loccisano/Getty ImagesT-Mobile US CEO John Legere.</div></div></div>T-Mobile CEO John Legere and Sprint executive chairman Marcelo Claure will be pitching their companies' $26 billion merger before Congress this week, hoping to ease lawmaker's concerns about wireless competition while pushing the tie-up as a key part of the nation's 5G quest.Why it matters: It's a key test for a deal that would reduce the number of major national wireless carriers from four to three. Driving the news: The fierce lobbying battle over the $26 billion deal has divided Democrats.<ul><li>Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) and colleagues from both parties circulated a letter supporting the deal.</li><li>Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), part of the class of new progressive members of Congress, is asking colleagues to sign a letter opposing the deal, according to multiple sources. A copy of the letter obtained by Axios says the "sole reason" for the deal appears to be helping "a handful of individuals get significantly wealthier."</li></ul>Yes, but: The deal doesn't need congressional sign off, but legislators can put pressure on the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice to block it. The companies have aggressively lobbied both agencies.<ul><li>The deal has been approved by regulators in New York, and it still requires approval in California.</li></ul>Details: The hearings, of the House Energy and Commerce and Judiciary committees, are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday. (The Washington, D.C. funeral for former Rep. John Dingell is also being held Thursday, so plans could shift.)What to watch: How seriously the FCC and the DOJ take T-Mobile's argument the deal will help it bolster its 5G networks to compete with AT&amp;T and Verizon, the linchpin of a major push on the part of the company to get the merger through.<ul><li>T-Mobile and Sprint also pledged last week not to raise rates for three years, an attempt to mitigate concerns that the merger will lead to higher prices.</li><li>The companies are also pledging to open several new service centers that they say would each create 1,000 jobs.</li><li>Their lobbying has been up close and personal. Legere has regularly tweeted from his trips to Washington, and the company's executives have stayed on multiple occasions at the Trump International Hotel, according to the Washington Post.</li></ul>The coalition opposed to the deal also met with staffers for all five FCC members this past week, according to agency filings.The big picture: Regulators have been tasked with weighing a series of major mergers in telecom and tech in recent years, including AT&amp;T's blockbuster acquisition of Time Warner, that stand to transform how Americans get information and entertainment.<ul><li>The FCC and DOJ consider deals in parallel. The former looks at whether a merger is in the public interest, while the latter weighs the impact on competition.</li><li>T-Mobile and Sprint have said they think the deal will close "no later than the first half" of this year.</li><li>The government shutdown slowed down the regulatory review process.</li></ul>History lesson: AT&amp;T's effort to buy T-Mobile was blocked in 2011; Sprint and T-Mobile subsequently discussed a deal during the Obama administration but never moved forward because regulators made clear they would fight any combination among the Big 4 carriers.The bottom line: The deal's opponents are fighting an uphill battle against a generally business-friendly administration, but the hearings this week let them air their concerns and turn up the heat. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/your-body-when-you-stop-exercising-workout-health-fitness-2017-7">What happens to your body if you stop exercising</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

A fight is heating up over T-Mobile's $26 billion deal with Sprint as the companies try to convince lawmakers the tie-up will be good for consumers

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesNJ Sen. Cory Booker</div></div></div><ul><li>Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, and Sheryl Sandberg have donated to some of the lawmakers questioning Zuckerberg during his <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mark-zuckerberg-testifies-us-congress-cambridge-analytica-russia-bias-2018-4">Congressional testimony this week</a>.</li><li>Facebook has given the most to Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ).</li></ul>Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg doesn't have a strong presence in Washington - but he, Sheryl Sandberg, and Facebook Inc have donated tens of thousands of dollars to several of the same lawmakers that questioned him this week in high-profile Congressional hearings. Congress grilled Zuckerberg over the Cambridge Analytica privacy scandal in which the personal data of 87 million users was obtained by the Trump-linked political research firm Cambridge Analytica. In his first day of testimony, Zuckerberg also answered questions about the spread of fake news, Russian manipulation of the social network, and free speech.Since 2014, Facebook has donated a total of $1.8 million to members of Congress, according to data from the Center for Responsive <keyword id="6358883" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="politics">Politics</keyword>. And personally, Zuckerberg has given to two of the senators - both in 2013 - who questioned him yesterday: $5,200 to Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and $7,800 to Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ).<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">Oprah.comFlashback to 2010 when Zuckerberg and Sen. Booker appeared on the Oprah show</div></div></div>Zuckerberg and Sen. Booker have some history. In 2010, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-donation/facebooks-zuckerberg-gives-100-million-to-newark-idUSTRE68N54E20100924">Zuckerberg appeared on the Oprah Winfrey television show </a>with then Newark, NJ Mayor Booker and then NJ Gov. Chris Christie to announce a $100 million gift to "fix" New Jersey's school system with charter schools and other reforms (the initiative has since been <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/we-now-know-more-about-how-newark-schools-partially-squandered-mark-zuckerburgs-100-million-donation-2015-10">criticized for being a well-intentioned but poorly conceived plan </a>that caused a lot of upheaval to local residents and students).Sheryl Sandberg, Zuckerberg's second-in-command, has donated to the following legislators during their time in office:<ul><li>Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) - $7,900</li><li>Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) - $5,400</li><li>Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) - $2,700</li><li> Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) - $17,700</li><li> Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA) - $7,900</li><li> Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) - $5,200</li><li> Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) - $5,200</li></ul>It's not unusual for corporations to donate to politicians on both sides of the aisle, of course. But it's worth keeping this financial relationship in mind while watching Zuckerberg's exchanges with lawmakers. Here is a list of every lawmaker on the Senate Judiciary and Commerce committees and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce that Facebook has contributed to in the past four years, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.<ul><li>Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) - $44,025</li><li>Kamala D Harris (D-CA) - $30,990</li><li>Greg Walden (R-OR) - $20,000</li><li>Steve Scalise (R-LA) - $19,500</li><li>Patrick Leahy (D-VT) - $16,400</li><li>Cory Gardner (R-CO) - $16,000</li><li>Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) - $15,900</li><li>Orrin G Hatch (R-UT) - $15,200</li><li>Dean Heller (R-NV) - $14,400</li><li>Roy Blunt (R-MO) - $14,100</li><li>Fred Upton (R-MI) - $14,000</li><li>John M Shimkus (R-IL) - $14,000</li><li>Mike Lee (R-UT) - $13,500</li><li>Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) - $13,200</li><li>Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) - $11,000</li><li>John Thune (R-SD) - $10,000</li><li>Bill Nelson (D-FL) - $10,000</li><li>Jon Tester (D-MT) - $10,000</li><li>Deb Fischer (R-NE) - $10,000</li><li>Roger Wicker (R-MS) - $10,000</li><li>John Cornyn (R-TX) - $10,000</li><li>Maria Cantwell (D) - $9,100</li><li>Diana DeGette (D-CO) - $9,000</li><li>Brett Guthrie (R-KY) - $9,000</li><li>Peter Welch (D-VT) - $8,500</li><li>Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) -$8,500</li><li>Doris O Matsui (D-CA) - $8,000</li><li>Jeff Flake (R-AZ) - $7,500</li><li>Jerry Moran (R-KS) - $7,500</li><li>Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) - $7,500</li><li>Mimi Walters (R-CA) - $7,500</li><li>Thom Tillis (R-NC) - $7,500</li><li>Chris Coons (D-DE) - $7,500</li><li>Pete Olsen (R-TX) - $6,500</li><li>Michael Burgess (R-TX) - $6,000</li><li>Frank Pallone (D-NJ) - $6,000</li><li>Ben Lujan (D-NM) - $6,000</li><li>Ron Johnson (R-WI) - $6,000</li><li>G K Butterfield (D-NC) - $5,500</li><li>Gary Peters (D-MI) - $5,000</li><li>Ben Sasse (R-NE) - $5,000</li><li>Robert E Latta (R-OH) - $5,000</li><li>Chuck Grassley (R-IA) - $5,000</li><li>Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) - $4,500</li><li>Yvette D Clarke (D-NY) - $4,000</li><li>Tony Cárdenas (D-CA)- $4,000</li><li>Richard Hudson (R-NC) - $4,000</li><li>Joseph Kennedy (D-MA) - $4,000</li><li>Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) - $3,900</li><li>Raul Ruiz (D-CA) - $3,750</li><li>Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) - $3,535</li><li>Lindsey Graham (R-SC) - $3,500</li><li>Kevin Cramer (R-ND) - $3,000</li><li>Bill Johnson (R-OH) - $3,000</li><li>Jerry Mcnerney (D-CA) - $3,000</li><li>Kurt Schrader (D-OR) - $3,000</li><li>Bobby L Rush (D-IL) -$3,000</li><li>Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) - $3,000</li><li>Rep. Billy Long (R-MO) - $3,000</li><li>Ryan Costello (R-PA) - $2,750</li><li>Dan Sullivan (R-AL) - $2,500</li><li>Mike Crapo (R-ID)- $2,500</li><li>Todd Young (R-IN) - $2,500</li><li>Chris Collins (R-NY) - $2,500</li><li>Scott Peters (D-CA) - $2,500</li><li>Brooks, Susan (R-IN) - $2,000 </li><li>Bucshon, Larry (R-IN) - $2,000</li><li>Mike Doyle (D-PA) - $2,000</li><li>Morgan Griffith (R-VA) - $2,000</li><li>Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) - $2,000</li><li>Mullin, Markwayne (R-OK) - $1,500</li><li>Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) - $1,000</li><li>Bilirakis, Gus (R-FL) -$1,000 </li><li>Carter, Buddy (R-GA) -$1,000</li><li>Dingell, Debbie (D-MI) -$1,000</li><li>Duncan, Jeff (R-SC) - $1,000</li><li>Flores, Bill (R-TX) - $1,000</li><li>Green, Gene (D-TX) -$1,000</li><li>Harper, Gregg (R-MS) - $1,000 </li><li>Sarbanes, John (D-MD) - $1,000</li></ul> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/top-10-games-coming-2018-nintendo-playstation-xbox-sony-call-of-duty-2018-3">The top 10 games coming in 2018</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Here's how much Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, and Sheryl Sandberg have donated to the lawmakers that questioned Zuckerberg

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein got a letter from professor Christine Blasey Ford accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault in July, but did not mention it until the final stages of Kavanaugh's confirmation in September.</li><li>Feinstein considered starting an internal investigation and other ways to prove Ford's allegations without identifying her over the course of the intervening months.</li><li>Republicans, including President Trump, have accused Feinstein of keeping the allegations secret until the last minute to torpedo Kavanaugh's nomination.</li><li>Other Democrats are also upset that the allegations were kept quiet, but Feinstein felt she had no choice, according to the Associated Press.&#xa0;</li></ul>The Democratic senator who has known about the sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh since July said that she held off on making the allegations public because the accuser had asked her to keep them confidential.Democratic&#xa0;Senator Dianne Feinstein <a href="https://www.axios.com/brett-kavanaugh-christine-blasey-ford-feinstein-letter-9337f417-1078-4334-8a81-c2b4fc051f99.html">received a letter</a> from&#xa0;Professor Christine Blasey Ford on July 30, which outlined her assertion that,&#xa0;at a high school party in the 1980s, Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed, groped her, and put his hands over her mouth.But she did not make the details public as Kavanaugh's hearings progressed, and leaks of the allegations caught even other Democrats off guard.Ford was motivated to write the letter&#xa0;to Feinstein after first meeting with Rep. Anna Eshoo, who told Feinstein about the allegations, <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/christine-blasey-ford-agrees-to-testify-against-brett-kavanaugh-2018-9">the Associated Press reported</a>,&#xa0;based on a dozen interviews with senators, aides and others. Feinstein asked that Ford write her allegations in the letter.The Senate Judiciary Committee has released the letter which can be <a href="https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/2018-09-20%20Feinstein%20to%20Grassley%20-%20July%2030%20Letter%20from%20Ford.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">read in full here</a>.&#xa0;Feinstein then felt that she faced a dilemma, AP reported. Telling other Democrats on the Senate&#xa0;Judiciary Committee could risk outing Ford, who had asked that her identity be protected. But withholding the allegations would prevent Kavanaugh from having to answer to significant allegations.Feinstein's team considered hiring their own investigator to look at the allegations, but Senate rules mean that both parties on a committee have to consult with each other, AP reported.Ford had decided in August that she would not go&#xa0;public. She later<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/california-professor-writer-of-confidential-brett-kavanaugh-letter-speaks-out-about-her-allegation-of-sexual-assault/2018/09/16/46982194-b846-11e8-94eb-3bd52dfe917b_story.html"> told the Washington Post</a> that she did not believe her story would affect Kavanaugh's&#xa0;confirmation and telling the story would be personally painful.But, even though Feinstein said she kept quiet, details of the allegation began to leak.&#xa0;Judiciary Committee Democrats said that Feinstein should send Ford's letter, with her name redacted, to the FBI. They were upset that Feinstein had not shared the information.President Donald Trump has accused Feinstein and the Democrats of "very purposefully" waiting to release the allegations in order to jeopardize&#xa0;Kavanaugh's nomination."Senator Feinstein and the Democrats held the letter for months, only to release it with a bang after the hearings were OVER - done very purposefully to Obstruct &amp; Resist &amp; Delay. Let her testify, or not, and TAKE THE VOTE!," the president tweeted on Friday.Kevin de Leon, a Democrat in the California state Senate, said that Feinstein should have confronted Kavanaugh with it at his hearing, AP reported. She could have made the allegation without naming Ford, he said.But Feinstein would claim she did not have a choice, according to AP.Ford, who now has gone public with the accusations that seem likely to impact Kavanaugh's confirmation, is&#xa0;<a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/christine-blasey-ford-agrees-to-testify-against-brett-kavanaugh-2018-9">expected to testify</a> before the Senate Judiciary Committee&#xa0;on Thursday.<div></div> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-trump-maga-hat-factory-california-make-america-great-again-2018-8">Inside the Trump 'MAGA' hat factory</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Why Democrats brought up the Kavanaugh accusations at the last minute when they've known since July

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Lawmakers spoke out after Christine Blasey Ford struck a tentative deal to testify about her allegations of sexual assault against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.</li><li>On both sides of the aisle, officials agree Ford should present her account, but disagree on the accusations' potential significance in the context of Kavanaugh's potential confirmation.</li><li>Here's what they said on the Sunday political shows.</li></ul>Amid a tentative agreement from Christine Blasey Ford to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/christine-blasey-ford-agrees-to-testify-against-brett-kavanaugh-2018-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">publicly testify</a> later this week about her allegation of sexual assault against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, lawmakers expressed varied ideas about the role her accusation should have in coming hearings.Ford's allegation that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her during a high school party in the 1980s has become a major flashpoint for Kavanaugh's confirmation since she <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/christine-blasey-ford-accuses-brett-kavanaugh-sexual-assault-2018-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">came forward publicly</a> in a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/california-professor-writer-of-confidential-brett-kavanaugh-letter-speaks-out-about-her-allegation-of-sexual-assault/2018/09/16/46982194-b846-11e8-94eb-3bd52dfe917b_story.html?utm_term=.7cd7beda898d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Washington Post report</a> last week.Though lawmakers widely agree that Ford should be allowed to present her account before the committee, some disagree on how large an implication the allegations have on Kavanaugh's potential confirmation.<h2>Republicans urge caution</h2>Sen. Lindsey Graham said he feels "sorry" for Ford, but the allegation is "too old for a criminal trial," and lacks the detail and documentation to condemn Kavanaugh."What do you expect me to do?" the South Carolina Republican asked on "Fox News Sunday". "What am I supposed to do? Go ahead and ruin this guy's life? I don't know when it happened I don't where it happened and everybody being named in regard to being there said it didn't happen."Ford told the Post&#xa0;a "stumbling drunk" Kavanaugh pinned her down and groped her at a high-school party in the 1980s while his friend watched. Kavanaugh categorically denied the account.Graham continued: "I'm just being honest, unless there's something more, no I'm not going to ruin Judge Kavanaugh's life over this. But [Ford] should come forward, she should have her say, she will be respectfully treated."In response to Ford's delayed decision to report the assault, United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley said people shouldn't blame or "second guess" Ford."Accusers go through a lot of trauma," Haley said on CNN's "State of the Union" "Some handle it one way and some handle it another way. Regardless, it's not something we want to do to blame the accuser or try and second guess the accuser."She continued: "We don't know the situation she was going through 35 years ago. We don't know the circumstances."Haley was speaking days after President Donald Trump <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1043126336473055235" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a> if the assault was "as bad as [Ford] says, charges would have been immediately filed.""At the same time, I think the accused deserves to be heard," Haley said of Kavanaugh. "I think that's going to happen, which is great. The Senate has a huge responsibility here. They have to make sure it's fair. They have to make sure it's responsible. And they have to take the <keyword id="6358883" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="politics">politics</keyword> out."Sen. David Perdue of Georgia said there was "absolutely no rush to judgment" in processing Ford's accusation, and he was confident Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley would "take his time" and handle coming hearings to benefit all involved."Well look, these are serious allegations," <a href="https://twitter.com/MeetThePress/status/1043881445171892225" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Perdue said on "Meet the Press"</a>. "I hope Dr. Ford can be put in a comfortable situation where she can provide the information. ... My view is that we should hear from both parties in a timely manner. ... It's time to have this hearing and get it before the American people."Grassley granted Ford a one-day extension to decide on testifying Friday, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chuck-grassley-tweets-about-christine-blasey-ford-brett-kavanaugh-saga-2018-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted a series of gripes</a> about the request, leading some&#xa0;to conclude the committee is not genuinely interested in Ford's story.Ford&#xa0;said last week&#xa0;<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/brett-kavanaughs-accuser-calls-for-fbi-investigation-2018-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an FBI investigation should be the "first step"</a> before she testifies, which some lawmakers rebuked on Sunday.Rep. Trey Gowdy said an investigation would be unproductive and Ford should be heard before the committee, members of which should withhold judgment before her testimony."I'm really disappointed when I hear senators say they either believe or don't believe witnesses that they have never interviewed or heard from," he said.Gowdy added the FBI would only identify other witnesses, but ultimately wouldn't be helpful, as they aren't "human polygraphs."<h2>Democrats defend Ford</h2>California Rep. Anna Eshoo, to whom Ford first made the "wrenching" allegations in July, said lawmakers and voters should take Ford's accusation and coming testimony seriously."This is an intelligent woman," Eshoo said on CBS's "Face the Nation." "This is not a woman that is confused, mixed up. This is something she has carried with her, just as many victims do.&#xa0;She will speak clearly, share her story, and I think the American people need to listen."Judiciary Committee member Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii said she has doubted Kavanaugh's credibility throughout the confirmation process, and takes that into account in weighing his categorical denial."I put his denial in the context of everything that I know about him in terms of how he approaches his cases. His credibility is already very questionable in my mind, and in the minds of a lot of my fellow Judiciary Committee members," Hirono said on CNN's "State of the Union."Top Senate Judiciary Committee Democrat Sen. Dick Durbin said on ABC's "This Week" that doubts about Ford's credibility were unwarranted, and her coming forward earns both her and Kavanaugh a "fair hearing.""What in the hell did she have to gain by doing this?" Durbin asked. "At this point, she's faced death threats. Her family has been moved out of their home. They're worried about the safety of their children. They're worried about security at the hearing."Durbin continued: "I believe that not only Judge Kavanaugh, but certainly Dr. Ford deserves a fair hearing."Kavanaugh's nomination had already faced resistance from&#xa0;<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris-corners-brett-kavanaugh-on-mueller-investigation-trump-attorney-marc-kasowitz-2018-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee</a>&#xa0;and&#xa0;<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/brett-kavanaugh-confirmation-hearing-photos-protesters-2018-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scores of protesters</a>&#xa0;who have expressed concerns over his record on issues such as abortion and gun control.<a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/09/23/fox-news-poll-record-number-voters-oppose-kavanaugh-nomination.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Fox News poll</a> released Sunday found falling support for Kavanaugh, with 40% of voters supporting confirmation and 50% opposing. A poll from last month found views split at 45%/46%.<div></div><div></div><div></div> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-trump-maga-hat-factory-california-make-america-great-again-2018-8">Inside the Trump 'MAGA' hat factory</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Lawmakers are split on the next steps for Christine Blasey Ford

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="https://www.gettyimages.com/license/1027859676">Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images</a></div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has come under fire for a sexual assault allegation from when he was a teenager.</li><li>The burgeoning scandal has prompted Democrats and even several Republicans to call for additional hearings, which would delay any confirmation vote.</li><li>Kavanaugh has emphatically denied the allegation.</li></ul>WASHINGTON - Days after allegations surfaced that Judge Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted a teenage girl while he was in high school, President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee is in limbo as lawmakers contemplate additional hearings and delaying procedural hurdles and votes necessary to advance the confirmation process.When Kavanaugh's accuser, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, came forward as the alleged victim, it sent the Senate committee tasked with vetting Kavanaugh's nomination into a tailspin.All 10 of the Judiciary Committee's Democrats <a href="https://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/e/6/e643b09a-4165-4bde-b3d8-52b81d5bb9d1/7EE48E703520ED4FC68022B1176DE0F3.2018.09.17-jud-dems-to-ceg-re-kavanaugh-vote.pdf">signed a letter</a> to Republican Chairman Chuck Grassley asking to delay the Thursday vote to shepherd Kavanaugh out of the committee. Later Monday morning, Maine Sen. Susan Collins, one of the few undecided Republicans on confirmation, called for both Kavanaugh and Ford to testify under oath before the Judiciary Committee.Coupled with calls for delaying the vote by retiring GOP Sens. Bob Corker and Jeff Flake, what Republicans thought would be a swift confirmation is now hanging by a thread.Grassley said in a statement Monday afternoon that he was attempting to establish follow-up calls with Judiciary Committee ranking Democrat Dianne Feinstein, but that her office is refusing to comply."The standard procedure for updates to any nominee's background investigation file is to conduct separate follow-up calls with relevant parties," Grassley said. "In this case, that would entail phone calls with at least Judge Kavanaugh and Dr. Ford. Consistent with that practice, I asked Senator Feinstein's office yesterday to join me in scheduling these follow-ups. Thus far, they have refused. But as a necessary step in evaluating these claims, I'll continue working to set them up."Grassley also chastised Democrats by noting that Republicans were kept in the dark about the letter Ford sent to Feinstein via California Rep. Anna Eshoo."Unfortunately, committee Republicans have only known this person's identity from news reports for less than 24 hours and known about her allegations for less than a week," he added. "Senator Feinstein, on the other hand, has had this information for many weeks and deprived her colleagues of the information necessary to do our jobs. The Minority withheld even the anonymous allegations for six weeks, only to later decide that they were serious enough to investigate on the eve of the committee vote, after the vetting process had been completed." The more Republicans start to call for delayed votes, the more likely it is going to happen, as the GOP's Senate majority is slim.Republicans are concerned about what action the White House might take, as well. There is an expectation among GOP aides that Trump will go after Ford for accusing Kavanaugh of sexual assault. If Trump were to do so, it could make things even more difficult for Republicans.<h2>White House is sticking by Kavanaugh</h2>Regardless, the White House is standing by Kavanaugh, who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing about the allegations dating back to the early 1980s."This is a completely false allegation," Kavanaugh said in a statement Monday morning. "I have never done anything like what the accuser describes-to her or to anyone."Kavanaugh also said he would be willing to cooperate with the Judiciary Committee on any additional material or testimony they might want from him."Because this never happened, I had no idea who was making this accusation until she identified herself yesterday," he added. "I am willing to talk to the Senate Judiciary Committee in any way the Committee deems appropriate to refute this false allegation, from 36 years ago, and defend my integrity."On Monday, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/17/politics/brett-kavanaugh-testimony/index.html">reported</a> that Kavanaugh had hired Beth Wilkinson as an attorney from the prominent Washington, DC, firm Wilkinson Walsh and Eskovitz. Ford is represented by Debra Katz, who has often specialized in sexual misconduct cases.Conservative activist groups are rallying to Kavanaugh's defense, as well. The Judicial Crisis Network announced on Monday it would be launching a $1.5 million advertisement campaign to combat what it called attacks on Kavanaugh's character. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/woke-up-430-am-like-navy-seal-exercise-discipline-2018-7">I woke up at 4:30 a.m. for a week like a Navy SEAL</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation chances are starting to unravel

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Rick Wilking/ReutersAnita Hill accused then Supreme Court-nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment.</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has been accused of sexual misconduct, and it's not the first time in American history this has happened.</li><li>There are parallels between <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/christine-blasey-ford" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christine Blasey Ford</a>'s allegations against Kavanaugh, and lawyer Anita Hill's 1991 testimony against then-nominee Clarence Thomas.</li><li>Here's what happened in both cases, what Hill says the Senate can do better this time around, and how the allegations against Kavanaugh could impact American <keyword id="6358883" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="politics">politics</keyword> for years to come.</li></ul>When President Donald Trump nominated Judge <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/brett-kavanaugh-bio-photos-trump-supreme-court-pick-2018-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brett Kavanaugh</a> to the Supreme Court in July, his confirmation seemed all but certain.A graduate of Yale College and Yale Law School, he boasted experience in the Justice Department and the White House in addition to 12 years on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals.Other than a squabble over the release of some documents from his time in the Bush administration, and multiple interruptions from protesters, Kavanaugh's confirmation hearings went off without a hitch.That is, until a bombshell sexual assault allegation from the early 1980s surfaced against him, bringing the confirmation proceedings to a screeching halt.While such an event may seem unprecedented, a strikingly similar scenario unfolded 27 years ago during the confirmation process of Justice Clarence Thomas. Law professor Anita Hill was called into testify publicly in 1991 about allegations of sexual harassment she lodged against Thomas in a private FBI sit-down.An all-male panel of senators grilling Anita Hill over her allegations and attacking her credibility was largely perceived as sexist, and brought the issue of sexual harassment into the national consciousness, as well as inspired a generation of women to run for office.Here's what happened last time, and how the lasting effects of Hill's case could color Kavanaugh's chances of getting confirmed to the Supreme Court.<h2>A tale of 2 Judges - and 2 professors</h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/TV-Anita-Hill-Kerry-Washington/1fb08dc1e35a4f17884d227e207d91dd/225/0">AP</a>Hill testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee herself in 1991.</div></div></div>The details of both situations have some similarities: both accusers are university professors who initially made their accusations of misconduct confidentially or anonymously, but were driven by a sense of civic duty to risk everything to come forward against powerful men.Christine Blasey-Ford, a psychology professor at Palo Alto University and Stanford, accused a drunken 17-year old Kavanaugh of attempting to rape her when she was 15 at a 1982 house party in suburban Maryland in a letter to her congresswoman Anna Eshoo. Eshoo <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dianne-feinstein-brett-kavanaugh-letter-fbi-2018-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">then passed it along to Sen. Dianne Feinstein,</a> the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, in July.After two months, Feinstein referred the letter to the FBI, the content of which was then reported on by The Intercept. Investigative journalists Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer (who, coincidentally, co-wrote a book in the 1990s about the Anita Hill hearings), tracked down and wrote a <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/a-sexual-misconduct-allegation-against-the-supreme-court-nominee-brett-kavanaugh-stirs-tension-among-democrats-in-congress" target="_blank" rel="noopener">story on Ford for the New Yorker</a> while keeping her identity anonymous.On Sunday, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/christine-blasey-ford-accuses-brett-kavanaugh-sexual-assault-2018-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ford went public in an interview with the Washington Post's Emma Brown</a>, putting a face and name to the allegations, and offering more details to back up her story.Kavanaugh vehemently denies having assaulted Ford or "anyone else," and said he is prepared to testify under oath to that effect.Hill's allegations against Thomas in 1991 were somewhat different in that they concerned a pattern of harassment and inappropriate behavior as opposed to one isolated alleged assault.During a private interview with the FBI, Hill accused Thomas of sexually harassing her and creating a hostile work environment over a number of years while she worked for him in the Department of Justice's Civil Rights division and at the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission in the early 1980s.After the interview's contents were leaked to the press, Sen. Joe Biden, then the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, re-opened Thomas' confirmation hearings - and called for Hill to publicly testify, which she did in October 1991."The most moving aspect of Hill's testimony was the vivid portrait she painted of the vulnerability, humiliation and frustration she experienced while working under such conditions," <a href="http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,974096-2,00.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TIME Magazine writer Jill Smolowe</a> wrote of Hill's nearly 8 hours of testimony before the committee."She spoke of her fear of being squeezed out of good assignments, losing her job, maybe even not being able to find any job at all within the Reagan Administration if she continued to resist Thomas' alleged overtures."<h2>Casting doubt on the women</h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="https://www.gettyimages.com/license/1027710900">Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images</a>Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley has asked Ford and Kavanaugh to testify on Monday.</div></div></div>Even after the #MeToo movement has brought down dozens of high-profile men and sparked a national reckoning over sexual misconduct, there are striking similarities between how Ford is treated now and how Hill was treated 27 years ago.If Ford testifies, both women will have questioned by an all-male panel of GOP Senators. While there are now four women on the Judiciary Committee, they are all Democrats.In 1991, Republicans on the Committee pressed Hill on the most sexually explicit details of the alleged harassment, and sought to undermine her credibility at every turn.Why, they wondered, did she not report the alleged harassment at the time? Why did she take another job under Thomas at the EOEC after being harassed at the Justice Department? They pointed to Hill once giving Thomas a ride to the airport as evidence that she was lying about being harassed.Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, who is still on the Judiciary Committee, even accused Hill of fabricating her testimony and <a href="https://www.bustle.com/articles/154735-the-claims-against-anita-hill-during-the-clarence-thomas-hearings-were-harsh-strange-all-over" target="_blank" rel="noopener">adapting it from the book "The Exorcist."</a>It wasn't only the Republicans who were criticized for how they handled the hearing. Biden came under fire for not calling multiple witnesses who had volunteered to testify in support of Hill's version of events as part of a deal with Republican leadership."I wish I had been able to do more for Anita Hill," Biden <a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/story/joe-biden-anita-hill">told Teen Vogue</a> in 2017. "I owe her an apology."Ford provided the Post with notes from a 2012 therapy session in which she discussed the alleged attack, and the results of a polygraph indicating she told the truth, (even though polygraph exams are not usually considered admissible evidence in a court of law), but that hasn't shielded her from numerous attacks on her credibility.Some Republican senators and commentators have zeroed in on Ford's lack of recollection of some of the key details on the alleged incident, like whose house the assault occurred at, doubting the year it happened, and her not speaking publicly about the incident for 35 years, to accuse her of lying about the entire incident."Most women remember virtually everything about the circumstances of a sexual assault no matter how long ago," <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/09/brett-kavanaugh-accusations-should-be-ignored/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dennis Prager claimed in the National Review,</a> an argument thoroughly debunked by <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090202175057.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">substantive research</a> that trauma psychologists and other scientists have conducted on repressed memories and post-traumatic stress.Similarly to how Hatch and Thomas <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/feinstein-says-republicans-making-same-mistakes-anita-hill-n910546" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused Hill's testimony of being</a> "contrived ... by special interest groups," and "slick lawyers," conservative <a href="https://www.themaven.net/theresurgent/erick-erickson/abortion-is-killing-more-than-kids-it-s-killing-our-constitutional-institutions-M6ThUCPkp0Gv8pwz_Lb5HA/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Erick Erickson</a> claimed Ford was somehow put up to falsely accuse Kavanaugh of assault by abortion rights groups concerned about his stance on the issue - a <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/28/AR2007092801634.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claim Thomas also lodged against Hill</a> in his 2007 memoir.Both women have also been accused of suffering from mental illness or delusions. Some Thomas supporters <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1991/10/14/us/thomas-nomination-psychologists-try-explain-why-thomas-hill-offer-opposing-views.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused Hill of suffering from "erotomania,</a>" a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11788912" target="_blank" rel="noopener">condition</a> that causes people to have wild romantic or sexual delusions.<a href="https://twitter.com/EdWhelanEPPC/with_replies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ed Whelan</a>, Kavanaugh's former coworker at the Department of Justice, <a href="https://twitter.com/EdWhelanEPPC/status/1041499316110675968" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wondered on Twitter</a> if Ford's "long course of psychotherapy included recovered-memory therapy, dubious method known to create false memories." (He has since deleted the tweet.) Another conservative commentator <a href="https://twitter.com/peltzmadeline/status/1042212787769012230" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called her a "loon."</a>When asked by reporters to comment on Ford's allegations against Kavanaugh on Monday, <a href="https://twitter.com/EJinAction/status/1041883465464074242" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hatch said</a>, "the woman is probably mixed up."<h2>What Anita Hill thinks the Senate should do this time around</h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Alex Wong/Getty ImagesKavanaugh first confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee began September 4.</div></div></div>The Senate Judiciary Committee now has a second chance to evaluate allegations of sexual misconduct against a Supreme Court nominee, and Hill <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/18/opinion/anita-hill-brett-kavanaugh-clarence-thomas.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">laid out a number of suggestions</a> for them in a Tuesday New York Times op-ed."That the Senate Judiciary Committee still lacks a protocol for vetting sexual harassment and assault claims that surface during a confirmation hearing suggests that the committee has learned little from the Thomas hearing, much less the more recent #MeToo movement," she wrote.Hill argued the committee should designate "a neutral investigative body with experience in sexual misconduct cases" to do an independent probe of the alleged incident to produce the more reliable results and avoid any semblance of partisanship.She also advised the committee not to rush the hearings on the matter, arguing their scheduled date of hearing testimony from Kavanaugh and Ford on Monday is far too soon to adequately prepare for a hearing on such a serious matter.Ford and her lawyer agree. In a letter sent to Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley and obtained by CNN on Tuesday night, Ford's lawyer <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/brett-kavanaughs-accuser-calls-for-fbi-investigation-2018-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">requested that a thorough FBI investigation of the incident take place</a> before her client will testify under oath.Hatch responded by <a href="https://twitter.com/nycsouthpaw/status/1042224964584144896" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claiming the FBI "does not do investigations like this"</a>, and said the judiciary committee would proceed as planned.Hill said on "Good Morning America" on Wednesday that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/anita-hill-senate-should-pause-brett-kavanaughs-confirmation-2018-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the committee should "push the pause button"</a> on the hearings until the FBI investigates."Finally, refer to Christine Blasey Ford by her name," Hill wrote in her op-ed. "Dr. Blasey is not simply 'Judge Kavanaugh's accuser.' Dr. Blasey is a human being with a life of her own. She deserves the respect of being addressed and treated as a whole person."<h2>A 2nd 'year of the woman'?</h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="https://www.loc.gov/item/2015645169/">Laura Patterson/Library of Congress</a>Senator Barbara Mikulski stands with women senatorial candidates Carol Moseley-Braun, Barbara Boxer, Patty Murray, and others at the 1992 Democratic National Convention in New York City.</div></div></div>Thomas was eventually confirmed to the Supreme Court by a narrow <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1991/10/16/us/the-thomas-confirmation-how-the-senators-voted-on-thomas.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">52-48 vote</a>.But the effects of Hill's testimony not only brought the issue of workplace sexual harassment into the mainstream, it also had a lasting impact on the make-up of Congress.The image of an all-male, all-white panel questioning Hill about the legitimacy of her experiences with harassment highlighted the lack of female representation in Congress, inspiring a new generation of women to take on the male-dominated institution.The year 1992 was termed <a href="http://history.house.gov/Exhibitions-and-Publications/WIC/Historical-Essays/Assembling-Amplifying-Ascending/Women-Decade/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the "Year of The Woman"</a> due to the record-shattering number of women who ran for and won seats in Congress. Twenty-four women were elected to the House of Representatives for the first time, and the number of female US Senators tripled from two to six.This year, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/16/politics/house-women-update-september/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">another record of 256 women</a> have won primaries to advance to the congressional general elections in November. The sheer number of women running with the backdrop of the #MeToo movement could drive women - particularly college-educated suburban women who might not usually vote in midterm election - to the polls."This year certainly has the potential to be another year of the woman," Laurel Harbridge-Yong, a political scientist at Northwestern University, told Business Insider."To the extent the concerns around Kavanaugh are adequately handled or not, this could mobilize white suburban women, a really key segment of the electorate, to vote for Democratic congressional candidates." <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-trump-maga-hat-factory-california-make-america-great-again-2018-8">Inside the Trump 'MAGA' hat factory</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Brett Kavanaugh isn't the first Supreme Court nominee to be accused of sexual misconduct - here's what happened last time, and how it compares to now

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is embroiled in sexual misconduct allegations. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/christine-blasey-ford" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christine Blasey Ford</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/deborah-ramirez" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deborah Ramirez</a> are accusing Kavanaugh of sexual assault in high school and college, and there are signs of at least one more accuser to come.</li><li>He has categorically denied the allegations, and plans to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee about them on Thursday.</li></ul><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/brett-kavanaugh-bio-photos-trump-supreme-court-pick-2018-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brett Kavanaugh</a>, President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, is facing allegations of sexual assault and misconduct that have all surfaced in the past week.Two of the accusations are from Kavanaugh's time in high school and college, and there are signs of at least one more to come. He has denied the allegations.Though the Trump administration has repeatedly waved off the claims and defended Kavanaugh, congressional lawmakers are split on how to proceed. Republicans want to get Trump's Supreme Court pick confirmed, but Democrats are calling for an FBI investigation into the new allegations.<h2>Christine Blasey Ford says Kavanaugh assaulted her in high school</h2>Ford, a professor at Palo Alto University, was the previously anonymous author of a July letter to California Rep. Anna Eshoo and Sen. Dianne Feinstein that said Kavanaugh assaulted her at a Bethesda, Maryland party when the two were in high school.On September 16, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/christine-blasey-ford-accuses-brett-kavanaugh-sexual-assault-2018-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Washington Post published</a> an article that identified Ford as the accuser and detailed her claims that a "stumbling drunk" 17-year-old Kavanaugh pinned her down, forced himself on her, and stifled her screams while his friend allegedly watched."I thought he might inadvertently kill me," Ford said of Kavanaugh during the alleged attack. "He was trying to attack me and remove my clothing."The Post corroborated Ford's account with an interview with her husband, a lie detector test from her lawyer, and notes from therapy sessions that include mention of a "rape attempt" by students from an "elitist boys school" who would become "highly respected and high-ranking members of society in Washington."Part of Ford's account alleged Kavanaugh's friend Mark Judge was in the room for the attack, and that she was able to get away after Judge jumped on them. Judge, now a conservative writer, said he didn't remember "any of that stuff going on with girls."<h2>Deborah Ramirez alleges an incident of sexual misconduct in college</h2>A week after the Post published Ford's account, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/brett-kavanaugh-sexual-assault-yale-deborah-ramirez-2018-9">The New Yorker published an article</a> detailing an allegation from Ramirez, a former Yale University classmate of Kavanaugh's, who said Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a dorm-room party during his freshman 1983-84 school year.Ramirez said she was reluctant to come forward because she was drinking at the time of the incident and admits her memory has gaps, but can recall key details."I remember a penis being in front of my face," she told the New Yorker. "I knew that's not what I wanted, even in that state of mind."Ramirez also said she has a vivid memory of another student yelling nearby, "Brett Kavanaugh just put his penis in Debbie's face."Though several classmates could not recall the incident, one told The New Yorker he was 100% sure he heard Kavanaugh exposed himself, in addition to independently identifying many of the same details.A male student Ramirez identified as having egged Kavanaugh on told the New Yorker he remembered the incident as a "big deal" that had been "on my mind all these years when his name came up." He also recalled Kavanaugh as "relatively shy" but a heavy drinker, who would become "aggressive and even belligerent" when drunk.As of Monday morning, over 600 Yale alumnae <a href="https://medium.com/@yalewomenforwomen/open-letter-from-women-of-yale-in-support-of-deborah-ramirez-685bf4bb84f0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed a letter</a> in support of Ramirez.<h2>Kavanaugh's denies the allegations</h2>Kavanaugh categorically denied Ford and Ramirez's accounts in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/brett-kavanaugh-sexual-assault-yale-deborah-ramirez-2018-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">separate</a> statements.After Ford came out, he said:"This is a completely false allegation. I have never done anything like what the accuser describes-to her or to anyone. Because this never happened, I had no idea who was making this accusation until she identified herself yesterday. I am willing to talk to the Senate Judiciary Committee in any way the Committee deems appropriate to refute this false allegation, from 36 years ago, and defend my integrity."In response to Ramirez's allegations, he said:"This alleged event from 35 years ago did not happen. The people who knew me then know that this did not happen, and have said so. This is a smear, plain and simple. I look forward to testifying on Thursday about the truth, and defending my good name - and the reputation for character and integrity I have spent a lifetime building - against these last-minute allegations."<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>After Ford's allegations were published, 65 women who knew Kavanaugh in past schooling and work <a href="https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/2018-09-14%2065%20Women%20who%20know%20Kavanaugh%20from%20High%20School%20-%20Kavanaugh%20Nomination.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed a letter</a> that touted how he has "always treated women with decency and respect." Six former Yale classmates were quoted in The New Yorker story alongside Ramirez's account to defend Kavanaugh and deny the claims.During his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Kavanaugh answered Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono's question under oath, swearing he had never "committed any verbal or physical harassment or assault of a sexual nature" as a legal adult.On Monday afternoon, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/brett-kavanaugh-letter-sexual-assault-allegations-withdrawing-2018-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kavanaugh sent a letter</a> to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and ranking Democrat Feinstein calling the allegations "smears" that "debase our public discourse.""They are also a threat to any man or woman who wishes to serve our country," Kavanaugh wrote. "Such grotesque and obvious character assassination - if allowed to succeed - will dissuade competent and good people of all political persuasions from service."<h2>Michael Avenatti says he has a 3rd accuser</h2><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/michael-avenatti-brett-kavanaugh-2018-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Attorney Michael Avenatti</a> tweeted Sunday that he has evidence that Kavanaugh, Judge, and others would target women at house parties in the early 1980s with alcohol and drugs "in order to allow a 'train' of men to subsequently gang rape them."Avenatti said in the tweet he was representing <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelAvenatti/status/1044006928416825344">"a woman with credible information"</a> alongside a screenshot of an email detailing the allegations to Mike Davis, the chief counsel for nominations for the Senate Judiciary Committee.Avenatti <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/23/second-woman-assault-kavanaugh-837678">told Politico</a> later that day he represented a group of people who could corroborate allegations involving Kavanaugh and Judge, including one victim and witnesses. Avenatti <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelAvenatti/status/1044013350873489409">clarified</a> that his client was not Ramirez.Avenatti, who also represents the adult-film actress Stormy Daniels in her lawsuit against Trump, said he "will be demanding the opportunity to present testimony" to the Judiciary Committee, which is overseeing Kavanaugh's nomination proceedings.He has not yet provided additional public information on his possible accuser or her alleged claims against Kavanaugh.<h2>Police say they're not investigating a possible 4th allegation</h2>The <a href="https://mont.thesentinel.com/2018/09/24/supreme-court-nominee-kavanaugh-faces-more-allegations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Montgomery County Sentinel reported</a> Monday morning that investigators were looking at a possibly fourth woman's allegation of sexual misconduct from Kavanaugh's senior year in high school.But the <a href="http://www.mymcpnews.com/2018/09/24/statement-from-the-montgomery-county-police-department-regarding-victim-accusations-of-supreme-court-nominee-brett-kavanaugh/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">department said in a Monday afternoon statement</a> they had not received a request for any such investigation.<h2>Lawmakers are split on next steps</h2>Ford is scheduled to testify with Kavanaugh before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday.But now <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/brett-kavanaugh-sexual-assault-yale-deborah-ramirez-2018-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate Democrats</a> are requesting an FBI investigation, and Feinstein called Sunday night for <a href="https://twitter.com/SenFeinstein/status/1044046483643932673" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Thursday's hearing to be canceled</a> and Kavanaugh's confirmation delayed.Congressional Republicans spoke out Sunday before the report of Ramirez's allegations to support Ford's testimony, but were largely cautious of her account's significance to Kavanaugh's overall chances at confirmation.The Trump Administration has repeatedly defended Kavanaugh through the weekend, with Trump calling him a "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-defends-fantastic-kavanaugh-calls-ford-to-be-heard-2018-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fantastic man</a>" and counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway painting the allegations as "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-kavanaugh-white-house-statements-new-sexual-assault-allegations-2018-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a vast left-wing conspiracy</a>."<div></div> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-trump-maga-hat-factory-california-make-america-great-again-2018-8">Inside the Trump 'MAGA' hat factory</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

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