Sen. Grassley grants extension for Kavanaugh accuser Ford

Sept. 22 (UPI) — Christine Blasey Ford has until 2:30 p.m. Saturday to decide if she will testify against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh after a late-night deadline extension.

Senate judiciary committee chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, previously made the announcement on social media late Friday night that the deadline for Ford’s decision had been extended for the woman who accuses Kavanaugh of sexual assaulting her when they were high school students at a party 36 years ago. Kavanaugh denies the allegation.

“Judge Kavanaugh I just granted another extension to Dr Ford to decide if she wants to proceed w the statement she made last week to testify to the senate,” Grassley tweeted late Friday night after Ford’s lawyers requested a 24-hour extension for her to make a decision on the hearing considering that she had been receiving death threats. “She shld decide so we can move on I want to hear her. I hope u understand. It’s not my normal approach to b indecisive.”

Grassley initially did not specify a time. However, later on, Grassley told Ford’s lawyers that she had until 2:30 p.m. Saturday to respond, which falls short of the 24-hour extension Ford’s lawyers had requested in response to an earlier 10 p.m. Friday deadline, CNN reported. The committee’s deadline was previously extended from 5 p.m. Friday.

Without a decision, the committee has said it will go forward with a vote for Kavanaugh on Monday.

“It’s clear that Republicans have learned nothing over the last 27 years,” Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said in a statement, referring the 1991 hearing on Anita Hill’s sexual harassment allegations against Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. “Bullying a survivor of attempted rape in order to confirm a nominee – particularly at a time when she’s receiving death threats – is an extreme abuse of power. I’m shocked and appalled by the Republicans’ refusal to wait 24 hours for a hearing and instead rush forward with a vote on Monday. From the outset Republicans have tried to push through this nomination at all costs.”

Ford’s attorney, Debra Katz, said Friday that her client was willing to testify, but needed at least until Thursday to “settle things with her family,” travel and prepare to testify after receiving death threats, and Grassley responded that she must testify by Wednesday.