President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, a federal appeals court judge, appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, September 4, 2018.
- The Senate Judiciary Committee will conduct a public hearing with Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting while the two were in high school in the 1980s.
- The public hearing, scheduled for Monday, will be the first time Kavanaugh and Ford will publicly speak at length on the matter.
- The hearing is expected to delay a planned vote on Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court.
- Ford, a 51-year-old research psychologist and professor, claimed that Kavanaugh was "stumbling drunk" when he allegedly sexually assaulted her during a party in high school.
- President Donald Trump brushed off the accusations and pointed fingers at Democrats, who he believes are trying to stall Kavanaugh's confirmation to the high court.
The Senate Judiciary Committee will conduct a public hearing with Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her while the two were in high school in the 1980s.
The public hearing, scheduled for Monday, will be the first time Kavanaugh and Ford will publicly speak at length on the matter.It's happening during what has been a contentious confirmation process Kavanaugh, who is expected to replace former Justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court.
The hearing on the assault allegation is expected to delay a planned vote on Kavanaugh's confirmation.
Ford, a 51-year-old research psychologist and professor, claimed that Kavanaugh was "stumbling drunk" when he allegedly sexually assaulted her during a party in high school. She claimed Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed, groped her over her clothes, and covered her mouth with his hand when she started to scream.
In 2012, Ford and her husband sought a psychologist who took notes of a similar incident, although it did not specifically name Kavanaugh.
Kavanaugh has denied the claim and said he would testify to "refute this false allegation" and "defend my integrity."
"This is a completely false allegation," he said in a statement. "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."
On Monday, President Donald Trump brushed off the allegations and said Kavanaugh's confirmation was still "on track."
"If it takes a little delay, it'll take a little delay," Trump said.
"Judge Kavanaugh looks forward to a hearing where he can clear his name of this false allegation," White House spokesman Raj Shah added in a statement. "He stands ready to testify tomorrow if the Senate is ready to hear him."