Intensifying calls for a complete FBI investigation into Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's claim that Trump Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh attempted to rape her while they were in high school, a former schoolmate of Ford wrote in a Facebook post that she recalls hearing discussion of the alleged sexual assault around campus.
"This is bigger than one nomination. This is about whether we treat victims with basic dignity. A nonpartisan investigation should not be up for debate."
--Sen. Patrick Leahy
"This incident did happen. Many of us heard a buzz about it indirectly with few specific details," Cristina Miranda King--who says Ford was "a year or so behind her"--claimed in Facebook post that she deleted after being overwhelmed with media inquiries. "However, Christine's vivid recollection should be more than enough for us to truly, deeply know that the accusation is true."
"If Kavanaugh truly has the integrity mentioned by those who support him, then he should be just as courageous as Christine and stop trying to dodge the accusations, admit his actions from so long ago, speak from the heart, and apologize," King added.
King noted in her post that she did not know Ford personally, but she says she slightly knew Kavanaugh and his friend Mark Judge, who Ford claimed was in the room when Kavanaugh attempted to rape her. Judge has denied being in the room, but said in a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee that he has no plans to testify publicly.
Read the full text of King's now-deleted Facebook post here.
While King emphasized that she does not have first-hand knowledge of the alleged incident, lawmakers and analysts argued that her account bolsters calls for the FBI to carry out a complete probe of Ford's accusations before Kavanaugh's confirmation process is allowed to proceed.
And as many others have pointed out, Kavanaugh has already been showed as someone willing to lie while under oath.
"Dr. Blasey Ford has zero to gain from lying and everything to lose. Brett Kavanaugh on the other hand has a repeated and well documented history of lying to and misleading the Senate Judiciary Committee," said Shaunna Thomas, co-founder and executive director of UltraViolet Action, a leading national women's group, on Wednesday.
"This is bigger than one nomination. This is about whether we treat victims with basic dignity," Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the most senior member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, wrote on Twitter in response to King's post. "A nonpartisan investigation should not be up for debate."
Characterizing King's account as "additional evidence" that Ford is "telling the truth about having been sexually assaulted by Brett Kavanaugh," Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) declared, "The FBI needs to interview this witness."
