Lawyers for Christine Blasey Ford say that she has accepted the invitation to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who she has accused of sexually assaulting her when they were both in high school.
The hearing is presumably scheduled for Wednesday. Ford’s lawyers asked the committee for a call later Saturday to work out other specifics.
Testimony by Dr. Blasey will set up a potentially explosive showdown after days of uncertainty over whether she would appear at a hearing. It could also greatly complicate matters for Kavanaugh, who has vigorously denied Blasey’s allegations and just last week seemed destined for confirmation.
Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, has said that he has enough votes, but with at least two Republicans in the Senate undecided and with the party holding only a 51-to-49 majority, confirmation is hardly assured.
Blasey’s accusations, coming just days before the Judiciary Committee was initially set to vote on Kavanaugh, have rocked official Washington, evoking memories of the 1991 confirmation of Justice Clarence Thomas, who was accused of sexual harassment by the law professor Anita Hill.
They have further energized Democrats, and women particularly, in a midterm election in which Republicans are struggling with moderate women voters all across the country.