A woman who had anonymously accused US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct in the early 1980s decided to go public with her accusations, the Washington Post reported.
Judge Brett Kavanaugh is sworn in during his US Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing to be an Associate Justice on the US Supreme Court in Washington. Photo: AFP
In an interview with the newspaper, Christine Blasey Ford said that as a high school student in Maryland just outside of Washington, a "stumbling drunk" Mr Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed, groped her and attempted to remove her clothing.
Last week, Mr Kavanaugh said he "categorically and unequivocally" denies the allegations. The White House did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
A spokesman for Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley, responding to the latest developments in the Kavanaugh nomination, said, "It's disturbing that these uncorroborated allegations from more than 35 years ago, during high school, would surface on the eve of a committee vote."
Pressure on Republicans to delay Mr Kavanaugh's confirmation mounted, but it is unclear whether Ms Ford's decision to go public would hold up a Senate vote to confirm Mr Kavanaugh.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said the Senate Judiciary Committee "must postpone the vote until, at a very minimum, these serious and credible allegations are thoroughly investigated."
Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein, the top Judiciary Committee Democrat, issued a statement calling for a delay.
"I support Mrs. Ford's decision to share her story and now that she has, it is in the hands of the FBI to conduct an investigation. This should happen before the Senate moves forward on this nominee," Ms Feinstein said.
In The Washington Post interview, Mrs Ford said that when she tried to scream, Mr Kavanaugh put his hand over her mouth.
"I thought he might inadvertently kill me," Mrs Ford told the newspaper. "He was trying to attack me and remove my clothing."
Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell said he would like to have Mr Kavanaugh confirmed by 1 October, the start of the Supreme Court's new term.
His office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
That timetable would have Mr Kavanaugh sitting on the Supreme Court - if he is confirmed - before the 6 November elections in which one-third of the 100 Senate seats are up for grabs.
Mrs Ford, now a 51-year-old research psychologist in California, told the Washington Post that in July she sent a letter to Democratic Representative Anna Eshoo about the incident but requested confidentiality at the time.
The existence of the letter and some details of its contents became public in recent days, however.
Mrs Ford did not immediately respond to a request from Reuters for comment.
The Senate Judiciary Committee has completed its hearings on Mr Kavanaugh and planned to vote this week on his nomination by President Donald Trump to the highest court. A positive vote would set up a debate by the full Senate.
- Reuters