Kavanaugh attorney tells Fox News: Judge will not step aside
In an interview with 'Special Report' anchor Bret Baier, Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's attorney Beth Wilkinson reacts to third accuser's allegations and Senate Democrats' call for a new background check.
Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's attorney said Wednesday her client is upset about the allegations of sexual assault and misconduct made against him amid the process to confirm him to the nation's highest court, but won't withdraw his nomination.
Beth Wilkinson told Fox News' Bret Baier on "Special Report" that Kavanaugh is "very upset about it, because he knows he didn't do" what three women who have come forward have accused him of doing.
"He's a judge. He's not a television person, he's not a trial lawyer," Wilkinson said. "He's not used to talking about these things and being on television."
The attorney added that she believes Kavanaugh finds it "embarrassing in front of his family and his two daughters to talk about, you know, that he drank at times in excess when he was in college, and about dating girls, and what happened."
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On Wednesday, a third woman, identified as Julie Swetnick, came forward — via her lawyer, Michael Avenatti — alleging in a "sworn declaration" that Kavanaugh was "present" during gang rapes in 1982, in which she claims she was attacked.
Prior to that, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her during a party in high school in 1982. And Deborah Ramirez accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct during their time at Yale.
"If you read those allegations [that were made public Wednesday], they mean that tens and tens of men and women were involved with gang rape and binge drinking and all that goes along for years and no one reported it," Wilkinson told Fox News. "No one reported it since Judge Kavanaugh has been in this process."
When asked if Kavanaugh would withdraw from the confirmation process, Wilkinson said no. She noted that she feels the process has become "so demeaning and degrading for our country."
"I don't know why anyone would ever want to put their name in the hat for a public office anymore if we're going to do this to people," she said.
Wilkinson continued: "Normal people, even when they're opposed to Judge Kavanaugh, which again, they have every right to be, would never do that. And so it just makes everybody look like they're politicizing the Supreme Court and approval process."
Kavanaugh and Ford are scheduled to testify to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday — which Wilkinson said the judge looks forward to doing.
"He wants to come forward in front of the American public and explained that he didn't do this," she said. "And he'll answer any questions that the Senate Judiciary Committee has and he'll tell the truth, and that's the best he can do."
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