Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation was thrown into turmoil on Sunday when a woman came forward with allegations that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a party when the two were teenagers, more than three decades ago. His confirmation vote must be held until these allegations are thoroughly investigated.

Christine Blasey Ford, 51, a research psychologist and biostatistician at Palo Alto University in Northern California, told The Washington Post that a drunken Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed, groped her and covered her mouth to keep her from screaming.

The allegations, which were initially communicated confidentially in a letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), were forced into the spotlight after increasing public speculation that details of an accusation were being withheld. Feinstein disclosed the letter’s existence Thursday, though she has been in possession of it since late July.

Kavanaugh has denied the allegations.

The Senate must delay any vote on Kavanaugh’s confirmation. Its members owe  Ford the respect of a thorough investigation. They owe Kavanaugh a fair cross-examination. And they owe the American people the security that allegations of sexual misconduct have not been swept under the rug to expedite a politically advantageous nomination.

It would be a categorical understatement to say that Ford’s accusations have complicated an already rocky confirmation process. From the start of Kavanaugh’s confirmation, Republicans and Democrats have painted two wildly different portraits of the nominee: one is a champion for women, and the other is a historic threat to women’s rights.

Twenty five of Kavanaugh’s 48 clerks have been women, and Republicans claim that he has taken pains to mentor women. Democrats, on the other hand, have put Kavanaugh’s views on reproductive rights and Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case legalizing abortion, under intense scrutiny.

The new allegations fuel a fire that seems immune to any kind of suppression.

Kavanaugh’s professional record, along with the desire to fill a Supreme Court vacancy in a timely manner, are at odds, it seems, with the morality of not knowing the whole story. Even New York state Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has called for the Senate to postpone the vote until due diligence is done.

While it would be morally reprehensible to appoint a sexual predator to America’s highest court, it would also be morally bankrupt to destroy Kavanaugh’s chances of achieving that position without knowing more.

Published on September 17, 2018 at 10:35 pm