REMINDER ABOUT WHY THE PRESUMPTION OF INNOCENCE IS SO
INGRAINED IN OUR AMERICAN
CONSCIENCENESS.
CONSCIENCENESS. MR. PRESIDENT, I LISTENED
CAREFULLY TO CHRISTINE BLASEY
FORD’S TESTIMONY BEFORE THE
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE.
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE. I FOUND HER TESTIMONY TO BE
SINCERE, PAINFUL, AND
COMPELLING.
COMPELLING. I BELIEVE THAT SHE IS A SURVIVOR
OF A SEXUAL ASSAULT AND THAT
THIS TRAUMA HAS UPENDED HER
LIFE.
LIFE. NEVERTHELESS, THE FOUR WITNESSES
SHE NAMED COULD NOT CORROBORATE
ANY OF THE EVENTS OF THAT
EVENING GATHERING WHERE SHE SAYS
THE ASSAULT OCCURRED.
NONE OF THE INDIVIDUALS
PROFESSOR FORD SAYS WERE AT THE
PARTY HAS ANY RECOLLECTION AT
ALL OF THAT NIGHT.
JUDGE KAVANAUGH FORCEFULLY
DENIED THE ALLEGATIONS UNDER
PENALTY OF PERJURY.
MARK JUDGE DENIED, UNDER PENALTY
OF FELONY, THAT HE HAD WITNESSED
AN ASSAULT.
AN ASSAULT. PJSMYTH, ANOTHER PERSON
ALLEGEDLY AT THE PARTY, DENIED
THAT HE WAS THERE UNDER PENALTY
OF FELONY.
OF FELONY. PROFESSOR FORD’S LIFE-LONG
FRIEND, LELAND KEYSER, INDICATED
THAT UNDER PENALTY OF FELONY,
SHE DOES NOT REMEMBER THAT
PARTY.
PARTY. AND MS. KEYSER WENT FURTHER, SHE
INDICATED THAT NOT ONLY DOES SHE
NOT REMEMBER A NIGHT LIKE THAT,
BUT ALSO THAT SHE DOES NOT EVEN
KNOW BRETT KAVANAUGH.
IN ADDITION TO THE LACK OF COB
BRATE -- CORROBORATING EVIDENCE,
WE ALSO ASKED SOME FACTS THAT
RAISED MORE QUESTIONS.
FOR INSTANCE, SINCE THESE
ALLEGATIONS BECAME PUBLIC,
PROFESSOR FORD TESTIFIED THAT
NOT A SINGLE PERSON HAS
CONTACTED HER TO SAY I WAS AT
THE PARTY THAT NIGHT.
FURTHERMORE, THE PROFESSOR
TESTIFIED THAT ALTHOUGH SHE DOES
NOT REMEMBER HOW SHE GOT HOME
THAT EVENING, SHE KNEW THAT
BECAUSE OF THE DISTANCE, SHE
WOULD HAVE NEEDED A RIDE.
YET NOT A SINGLE PERSON HAS COME
FORWARD TO SAY THAT THEY WERE
THE ONE WHO DROVE HER HOME OR
WERE IN THE CAR WITH HER THAT
NIGHT.
NIGHT. AND PROFESSOR FORD ALSO
INDICATED THAT EVEN THOUGH SHE
LEFT THAT SMALL GATHERING OF SIX
OR SO PEOPLE ABRUPTLY, AND
WITHOUT SAYING GOOD-BYE, AND
DISTRAUGHT, NONE OF THEM CALLED
HER THE NEXT DAY OR EVER TO ASK
WHY SHE LEFT, IS SHE OKAY.
NOT EVEN HER CLOSEST FRIEND MS.
KEYSER.
KEYSER. MR. PRESIDENT, THE CONSTITUTION
DOES NOT PROVIDE GUIDANCE ON HOW
WE ARE SUPPOSED TO EVALUATE
THESE COMPETING CLAIMS.
IT LEAVES THAT DECISION UP TO
EACH SENATOR.
EACH SENATOR. THIS IS NOT A CRIMINAL TRIAL AND
I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE CLAIMS
SUCH AS THESE NEED TO BE PROVED
BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT.
NEVERTHELESS, FAIRNESS WOULD
DICTATE THAT THES CLAIMS-- CLAIM
LEAST SHOULD MEET A THRESHOLD OF
MORE LIKELY THAN NOT, AS OUR
STANDARD.
STANDARD. THE FACTS PRESENTED DO NOT MEAN
THAT PROFESSOR FORD WAS NOT
SEXUALLY ASSAULTED THAT NIGHT,
OR AT SOME OTHER TIME, BUT THEY
DO LEAD ME TO CONCLUDE THAT THE
ALLEGATIONS FAILED TO MEET THE
MORE LIKELY THAN NOT STANDARD.
THEREFORE, I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT