Deborah Ramirez, 53, has now come forward to accuse Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court (also 53), of sexual misconduct while they were both students at Yale University in the 1980s.
In an article published yesterday by The New Yorker, co-authored by Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer, Ramirez alleges that Kavanaugh exposed his penis (and inadvertently forced her to touch it), while a group of young men laughed and taunted her at a raucous, booze-fueled dorm party. The alleged incident took place at Yale during the 1983-84 academic year. Ramirez, who was brought up Catholic, recalls being “embarrassed and ashamed and humiliated” by what occurred.
“I wasn’t going to touch a penis until I was married,” she told the magazine. “Somebody yelled down the hall, ‘Brett Kavanaugh just put his penis in Debbie’s face.’ It was his full name. I don’t think it was just ‘Brett.’ And I remember hearing [that] and being mortified that this was out there.”
An unidentified male classmate of Ramirez’s informed The New Yorker that another student told him about this incident shortly afterward. He added that he is “one-hundred-per-cent sure” it was Kavanaugh who allegedly exposed himself to Ramirez. He said he knew Kavanaugh, describing him as “relatively shy” when sober and “aggressive and even belligerent” when drunk. He also remembered hearing many similar details about the incident. His independent recollection of those details bolsters Ramirez’s allegation.
According to Farrow and Mayer, senior Republican staffers knew about this new allegation last week, just as Senate Republicans were pushing for a quick vote on Kavanaugh’s confirmation.
Ramirez’s story has surfaced only days before the Senate Judiciary Committee is set to hear testimony from Christine Blasey Ford, who publicly accused Kavanaugh of trying to sexually assault her while they were in high school.
While Democrats are calling for an FBI investigation into Kavanaugh’s conduct, Kavanaugh has denied Ford’s allegation. He also denies Ramirez’s allegation.
“This alleged event from 35 years ago did not happen,” Kavanaugh said in a statement released by the White House. “The people who knew me then know that this did not happen, and have said so. This is a smear, plain and simple.”
If nothing ever happened, then Kavanaugh shouldn’t worry about the FBI investigating his behavior in high school and college.
Ramirez’s lawyer, Stanley Garrett, is calling for an FBI investigation into his client’s claims as well.
“I do believe an FBI investigation of this kind of character-related information would be appropriate, and would be an effective way to relay the information to the committee,” Garnett told The New Yorker. “At least look at it. At least check it out.”
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