Christine Ford releases prepared testimony ahead of Senate hearing: 'I believed he was going to rape me'
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Christine Blasey Ford, the California professor alleging that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a party more than three decades ago, has released prepared remarks she's poised to deliver at Thursday's scheduled hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
In the remarks, Ford acknowleges she never named Kavanaugh as her alleged attacker to anyone outside of therapy until July, when she contacted The Washington Post's tip line and sent a letter outlining her claims to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.
Ford will say that she remembers "four boys" being at the party, including one "whose name I cannot recall." The people she did name -- Kavanaugh and his classmates Mark Judge and P.J. Smyth -- have denied under penalty of felony knowing anything about the alleged episode.
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Ford also described one girl, "my friend Leland Ingham," as also in attendance. Ingham, in a statement, has also denied knowing Kavanaugh or having information about the alleged assault.
In Ford's letter to Feinstein in July, however, Ford gave a different tally, writing that the gathering "included me and 4 others."
During the alleged attack, Ford will say, she "thought that Brett was accidentally going to kill me," and "I believed he was going to rape me."
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Dr. Ford Written Testimony by Fox News on Scribd
The episode, according to Ford's prepared testimony, "drastically altered my life" and has "haunted me episodically as an adult."
Ford said the assault came up during a therapy session in 2012 because during a remodeling of her house, she insisted on installing a "second front door" -- leaving her husband and others wondering why.
POLYGRAPH APPEARS TO REVEAL KEY INCONSISTENCY IN FORD'S CLAIMS
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Ford went public, she said, only after she "faced mounting pressure" as news of her letter to Feinstein leaked to the media. Republicans have accused Democrats of compromising Ford's identity by leaking the letter for political gain just days before a key Judiciary Committee vote on Kavanaugh's confirmation.
In the ensuing weeks, Ford will testify, "my greatest fears have been realized." She is expected to tell senators that her email accounts have been hacked and that she has been forced to leave her home and retain guards because of numerous threats against her.
Also on Wednesday, Ford's lawyers released the results of a polygraph examination she took Aug. 7 -- but a key detail in the report appears to contradict Ford's past claims.
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The examination, which was administered by former FBI agent Jeremiah Hanafin, took place in a Hilton hotel in Maryland, according to a "Polygraph Examination Report" compiled by Hanafin.
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Hanafin first allowed Ford and attorney Lisa Banks to meet alone to formulate a handwritten statement that Ford signed and provided Hanafin when he returned to the room. Then, without Banks present, Hanafin interviewed Ford about the day of the alleged assault, according to the report.
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In the handwritten statement, Ford writes that "there were 4 boys and a couple of girls" at the party.
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The apparent disparities in Ford's recounting of the number of people at the party will be among the likely topics of questioning on Thursday. Senate Republicans announced late Tuesday that Rachel Mitchell, a sex crimes prosecutor with decades of experience, will handle some of the questioning of Ford at the hearing.
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In her testimony Thursday, according to her prepared remarks, Ford will say that she "hope[s] to engage directly" with each senator, even as she will vow to do her "very best" to answer Mitchell's questions.
Members of Ford's legal team have requested to meet with Mitchell, and have asked the Judiciary Committee whether Kavanugh or his lawyers were able to consult with her. Ford's team said that despite not hearing back, Ford is ready and well-prepared for Thursday's hearing.
Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans met with Mitchell Wednesday night to discuss the hearing, Fox News has learned.
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Fox News' Shannon Bream and Jason Donner contributed to this report.