Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said Sunday, during a discussion about Christine Blasey Ford’s allegations of sexual assault against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, that the Senate should “investigate the abuse here.”
But Graham wasn’t talking about investigating the alleged assault. Rather, he wants an investigation into the Senate Judiciary Committee’s handling of it: “I‘m going to look into the process that led to this debacle, to the effort to destroy this good man,” he told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos, referring to Kavanaugh.
Blasey Ford, he said, “was abused as much as he was.”
Before Thursday — when Graham made angry accusations that calls to investigate Blasey Ford and others’ allegations of sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh were politically motivated — it may have been a more jarring message.
But Graham’s comments Sunday echoed Thursday’s performance.
The senator ended the interview promising further action: “I hope [committee chairman] Sen. Grassley will do what I’ve suggested: Investigate the abuse here. Who leaked anonymous letters? Who referred Dr. Ford to a lawyer that was a political activist? Did anybody in the committee betray her trust by sending it to it the media so the hearing would be delayed? Why did she not know that we were willing to go to California? How did that happen? Could her lawyers possibly have not told her that? If these lawyers didn’t tell her that we were willing to go to California to avoid this debacle, I want to know that and hold them accountable.”
Elsewhere, Graham misstated the known facts about Blasey Ford’s allegations.
“Here’s what I’m 100 percent certain of: When she said Ms. Keyser was at that party, she was wrong.”
Unless Graham knows something the rest of America doesn’t, he can’t claim 100 percent certainty: Leland Ingham Keyser has only said she does not recall the night in question, in 1982, and has repeatedly said she believes Blasey Ford.
Graham also inaccurately said Deborah Ramirez, who’s accused Kavanaugh of shoving his penis in her face at a college party, “refused to talk to the committee.”
In fact, emails published by the New Yorker show that, rather than refusing to talk to the committee, Ramirez’s lawyer was repeatedly stonewalled by a Republican committee staffer.
Graham also seemed uninterested in uncovered key questions about Kavanaugh.
“It appears that the FBI will not be questioning those college witnesses who contradict Brett Kavanaugh’s testimony about his drinking,” Stephanopoulos asked at one point. “Isn’t that relevant given that there clearly was drinking going on, at least it’s alleged, at the party?”
“No, I think you’re trying to portray him as a stumbling, bumbling drunk gang rapist who, during high school and college, was Bill Cosby,” Graham replied.
