Christine Blasey Ford in Letter to Senate Committee: ‘My Fear Will Not Hold Me Back from Testifying’

After the release of Brett Kavanaugh‘s letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee this afternoon, Christine Blasey Ford‘s letter about her upcoming testimony has been released as well.

Following the New Yorker report on another allegation against him, Kavanaugh denounced the “smears” in a letter to Chairman Chuck Grassley and Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein.

The letter from Ford, sent this past Saturday, says she wrestled with her decision to come forward:

“The decision to first report the assault to my Congresswoman, Rep. Anna Eshoo, was a very difficult one, but I felt that this was something that a citizen couldn’t NOT do. I felt agony yet urgency and a civic duty to let it be known, in a confidential manner, prior to the nominee being selected. While it was difficult, I was able to share my information with two contacts during the period between the short list announcement and Mr. Kavanaugh’s selection.”

Ford says that what Kavanaugh did “had a lasting impact on my life” and that her motivation in coming forward is to tell the truth.

She addresses the death threats she has received and how her family has “physically relocated” in the meantime, before concluding with this:

“While I am frightened, please know, my fear will not hold me back from testifying and you will be provided with answers to all of your questions. I ask for fair and respectful treatment.”

Personal letter from Dr. Ford to Grassley, dated Saturday. pic.twitter.com/IArGxQLkXe

— Jason Leopold (@JasonLeopold) September 24, 2018

[image via screengrab]

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