Kavanaugh accuser won't testify without investigation

The woman accusing U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of attempting to rape her while both were in high school 36 years ago says she will testify only after an FBI investigation is conducted.

Lawyers for Christine Blasey Ford sent a letter Tuesday evening to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, saying "a full investigation by law enforcement officials will ensure that the crucial facts and witnesses in this matter are assessed in a non-partisan manner, and that the Committee is fully informed before conducting any hearing or making any decisions."

Lisa Banks, one of Ford’s lawyers, told CNN's Anderson Cooper on Tuesday night that Ford is "prepared to cooperate" with the committee and any law enforcement investigation but won't show up at a hearing scheduled for Monday.

Banks said Ford can't "focus on having a hearing" because of "death threats" and "harassment."

Banks insisted that asking Ford "to come forward in four or five days and sit before the Judiciary Committee on national TV is not a fair process."

"Any talk of a hearing on Monday is premature because she just came forward with these allegations 48 hours ago."

Banks contended "no legitimate investigation" could be conducted before Monday, charging the process is "being rushed through."

"And it's too important to be rushed through. This is not a game. This is a serious situation."

The FBI already has said the accusation is not a federal matter and not within its jurisdiction. The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said Wednesday an outside investigation "is not necessary."

The senator said his panel is willing to hear Ford and Kavanaugh in private, if she prefers. And Grassley said staffers are willing to travel to California where Ford lives to interview her, Fox News reported.

Another alleged witness says there was no such party

Ford, a psychology professor at Palo Alto University, has taken part in anti-Trump protests and contributed to socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders's presidential campaign. She claims that when she was 15, Kavanaugh, then 17, and a friend, Mark Judge, were "stumbling drunk" at a party in 1982 when Kavanaugh clumsily tried to force himself on her and remove her clothes. She claims Judge jumped on the two of them, which allowed her to escape.

Ford, however, says she cannot remember when and where the event took place, how she arrive there and what she did afterwards. She made no mention of her claim until she was in a therapy session with her husband in 2012. The therapist's notes say there were four assailants, and Ford blames the discrepancy on the therapist.

Judge already has denied ever being at such a party. And now, CNN reports, another suspected witness Ford claims was present at the alleged incident, Patrick J. Smyth, also contends there was no such party as Ford describes.

A fellow high school student with Kavanaugh, Smyth said in a letter issued by his lawyer that he had been identified by Ford "as the person she remembers as 'PJ' who supposedly was present at the party she described in her statements to the Washington Post."

Smyth said he wanted "to make it clear to all involved that I have no knowledge of the party in question; nor do I have any knowledge of the allegations of improper conduct she has leveled against Brett Kavanaugh."

He said he has known Kavanaugh since high school, "and I know him to be a person of great integrity, a great friend, and I have never witnessed any improper conduct by Brett Kavanaugh toward women."

"To safeguard my own privacy and anonymity, I respectfully request that the committee accept this statement in response to any inquiry the committee may have," he said.

The Senate Judiciary Committee released a letter last week signed by 65 women who said they've known Kavanaugh "for more than 35 years" and "he has behaved honorably and treated women with respect."

Grassley: Do they want to come or not?

Grassley said Tuesday that Ford has ignored repeated attempts by his staff to confirm whether or not she will appear at next Monday's hearing.

The Senate Judiciary Committee chairman told talk-radio host Hugh Hewitt his office had "reached out to her in the last 36 hours three or four times by email, and we've not heard from them."

"So it kind of raises the question, do they want to, do they want to come to the public hearing or not?" the senator said.

A committee vote on Kavanaugh's confirmation was scheduled for Thursday. Senate Republicans still hope to have a full Senate vote before the opening of the Supreme Court's fall session Oct. 1.

The senator said Kavanaugh offered to testify even before he was asked. The nominee said in a statement Monday that he wanted to "refute this false allegation, from 36 years ago, and defend my integrity."

The White House said in a statement Monday that Kavanaugh, who has stated he was not at the party where Ford alleges the incident took place, is eager to testify.

"Judge Kavanaugh looks forward to a hearing where he can clear his name of this false allegation," White House spokesman Raj Shah said. "He stands ready to testify tomorrow if the Senate is ready to hear him."