A second woman came forward Sunday with new allegations of sexual misconduct against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, claiming the judge exposed himself to her and thrust his penis in her face during a party when they were students at Yale University.

Deborah Ramirez, 53, told The New Yorker’s Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer that she was at a dorm room party with Kavanaugh and several other students during Yale’s 1983-84 school year. Ramirez said the group was playing a drinking game and she became inebriated. Later in the evening she was on the floor and remembered a “penis being in front” of her face before she pushed the person away, causing her to touch it. She said she recalled Kavanaugh standing next to her, laughing and pulling up his pants. Another student then yelled down the hall: “Brett Kavanaugh just put his penis in Debbie’s face.“

She noted that there are large gaps in her memory and said she was hesitant to come forward, afraid that she would be attacked because she had been drinking at the time. But Ramirez said her experience, along with that of Christine Blasey Ford, would warrant an FBI investigation into the nominee’s behavior.

Kavanaugh denied the claims in a statement to the outlet, saying the event “from 35 years ago did not happen. The people who knew me then know that this did not happen, and have said so. This is a smear, plain and simple.”

White House spokesperson Kerri Kupec rejected Ramirez’s allegations, telling The New Yorker they are the latest in a “coordinated smear campaign.” A spokesperson for The White House did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment on Sunday evening.

The New Yorker said it was unable to independently confirm if Kavanaugh was at the party, but interviewed several of Ramirez’s classmates who recalled being told about the incident in vague terms within days of it allegedly happening. Several others disputed the claims, saying the behavior was “completely out of character for Brett.”

The outlet also noted that senior Republican aides learned of Ramirez’s claims last week, telling the outlet that they worried about its impact on the Kavanaugh’s nomination. Shortly thereafter, some GOP Senators publicly expressed their desire to quickly move forward on the nomination.

In a subsequent statement Sunday evening, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley said the committee’s majority staff learned about the new allegations from the New Yorker report. He said that Senate Democrats had “actively withheld information from the rest of the Committee only to drop information at politically opportune moments.”

The Ramirez claims are the latest in a whirlwind week of allegations against the Supreme Court’s nominee.

Blasey, a psychologist working in Northern California, has accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her at a party in the 1980s when they were both in high school. In an interview with The Washington Post, Blasey said a “stumbling drunk” Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed and attempted to take off her clothing before she was able to escape.

Kavanaugh has roundly denied the allegations.

Blasey’s legal team said Sunday that she had agreed to speak with the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday after days of heated negotiations.

“Despite actual threats to her safety and her life, Dr. Ford believes it is important for Senators to hear directly from her about the sexual assault committed against her,” her attorneys said in a statement.

The New Yorker piece also included serious allegations against Mark Judge, a classmate of Kavanaugh’s who came to the nominee’s defense after Blasey first went public with her own allegations. Elizabeth Rasor, a former girlfriend of Judge’s, said that the man was lying when he claimed that there was no “horseplay” culture at Georgetown Prep, the high school both Judge and Kavanaugh attended.

Rasor claimed that at one point during her three-year relationship with Judge, he told her of an incident where he and others had sex with an inebriated woman. His lawyer said Judge “categorically denies” the allegations.

Judge has refused to testify at any Senate hearing, although some have been urging the committee to issue a subpoena.

Michael Avenatti, the lawyer who represents the adult film star Stormy Daniels and is a vocal critic of the Trump administration, leveled his own accusations at Kavanaugh in a tweet late Sunday showing what appeared to be a screenshot of an email he sent to the chief counsel for nominations to the Senate Judiciary Committee. In the email, the lawyer said that he claimed to have “significant evidence” that Kavanaugh and a friend from high school, Mark Judge, participated in “targeting” women at house parties with “alcohol/drugs.”

Avenatti did not specify the nature of Kavanaugh’s involvement or cite evidence for these assertions in his tweet, but said he would be releasing evidence to both the public and lawmakers “in the coming days.” HuffPost also reached out to the White House about Avenatti’s claims.

Trump has supported his nominee throughout the allegations, and used a rally in Las Vegas on Thursday to praise Kavanaugh as a “great gentleman” he called “one of the finest human beings you will ever have the privilege of knowing.” He also roundly attacked Blasey, questioning why she didn’t step forward with her claims earlier.

Nearly two-thirds of people who are raped or sexually assaulted do not go to the police at all, according to U.S. Department of Justice figures.

This article has been updated to include Michael Avenatti’s accusations and a statment from Sen. Chuck Grassley’s office.</s>A second allegation of sexual misconduct against US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has fuelled calls from Democrats to postpone further action on his confirmation.

A days-long back and forth over the timing and terms of a hearing with Mr Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, the woman accusing him of sexually assaulting her when they were teenagers, appeared to end on Sunday with the announcement that they would appear separately on Thursday before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Hours later, however, the New Yorker magazine reported online that Senate Democrats were investigating another woman’s accusation of sexual misconduct by Mr Kavanaugh, this time dating to the 1983-84 academic year, Mr Kavanaugh’s first at Yale University.

The New Yorker said 53-year-old Deborah Ramirez described the incident in an interview after being contacted by the magazine.

Ms Ramirez recalled that Kavanaugh exposed himself at a drunken dormitory party, the magazine reported.

In a statement provided by the White House, Mr Kavanaugh said the event “did not happen” and that the allegation was “a smear, plain and simple”.

A White House spokeswoman added in a second statement that the allegation was “designed to tear down a good man”.

Senator Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, called for the “immediate postponement” of any further action on Mr Kavanaugh’s nomination.

She also asked the committee’s chairman, Senator Chuck Grassley, to have the FBI investigate the allegations of both Ms Ford and Ms Ramirez.

The New Yorker said it contacted Ms Ramirez after learning of a possible involvement in an incident with Mr Kavanaugh and that the allegation came to Democratic senators through a civil rights lawyer.

She had been considering speaking to the magazine for at least a week. Meanwhile, Republicans were pressing for a swift hearing and a vote.

The magazine reported that Ms Ramirez was reluctant at first to speak publicly “partly because her memories contained gaps because she had been drinking at the time of the alleged incident”.

She also acknowledged reluctance “to characterise Kavanaugh’s role in the alleged incident with certainty”.

The magazine reported that after “six days of carefully assessing her memories and consulting with her attorney, Ramirez said that she felt confident enough of her recollections” to recall the incident.

The Associated Press tried reaching Ms Ramirez at her home in Boulder, Colorado. She posted a sign saying she has no comment on her front door.

Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee said they found out about the Ramirez allegations from the New Yorker article and blamed Democrats for withholding the information.

Spokesman Taylor Foy said the panel is looking into it.

The new information came hours after the Senate committee agreed to a date and time for a hearing after nearly a week of uncertainty over whether Ms Ford would appear to tell her story.

The agreement and the latest accusation set the stage for a dramatic showdown as Mr Kavanaugh and Ms Ford each tell their side of the story.

The developments could also determine the fate of Mr Kavanaugh’s confirmation, which hangs on the votes of a handful of senators.

Mr Kavanaugh (53) an appellate court judge, has denied Ms Ford’s allegation and said he wanted to testify as soon as possible to clear his name.

Michael Avenatti, the lawyer representing porn actress Stormy Daniels in her legal fight with President Donald Trump, inserted himself into the maelstrom on Sunday night when he claimed to represent a woman with information about high school-era parties attended by Mr Kavanaugh and urged the Senate to investigate.

Mr Avenatti told AP that he will disclose his client’s identity in the coming days and that she is prepared to testify before the committee, as well as provide names of corroborating witnesses.

Mr Grassley wrangled with Ms Ford’s lawyers for the last week over the exact terms of her appearance.

She made several requests, some of which were accommodated — a Thursday hearing, three days later than originally scheduled, and a smaller hearing room with less press access to avoid a media circus, for example.

Mr Grassley’s staff also agreed to let Ms Ford testify without Mr Kavanaugh in the room, for there to be only one camera in the room, “adequate” breaks and a high security presence.

The committee said it would not negotiate on other points, though, including Ms Ford’s desire for additional witnesses and a request to testify after, not before, Mr Kavanaugh.</s>DONALD TRUMP’S EMBATTLED Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has been hit by a second accusation of sexual misconduct, leaving Republicans scrambling to save a confirmation that until recently had seemed all but certain.

The latest claims of impropriety during Kavanaugh’s youth came as he was already facing a dramatic hearing where his testimony was to be weighed against that of a university professor who has separately accused him of assault.

Senate Democrats are now investigating a bombshell claim by Deborah Ramirez, 53, who says Kavanaugh exposed himself to her during a 1980s college party at Yale University, thrust his genitals in her face and caused her to touch them without her consent, according to The New Yorker.

Kavanaugh denied the story, calling it “a smear, plain and simple.”

“The people who knew me then know that this did not happen, and have said so,” the conservative judge said in a statement.

Like Christine Blasey Ford, the professor accusing him of assaulting her when they were teenagers, Ramirez wants the FBI to investigate the incident, and Democratic lawmakers are backing their demands.

Ford agreed to testify on Thursday after an increasingly ugly weeklong standoff that saw her forced to leave her California home as she faced death threats and the president openly attacked her credibility.

Kavanaugh, who strongly denies the allegation, said he wishes to testify as soon as possible to clear his name following Ford’s claims that he attacked her at a 1980s high school party.

According to The New York Times, the federal judge has calendars from the summer of 1982 he plans to share with senators showing he was out of town most of that time with no indication of the party of concern.

The two parties will testify separately — first Ford, followed by Kavanaugh’s response — the Senate Judiciary Committee confirmed.

On Sunday, Senator Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the judiciary committee, urged the panel to halt proceedings in light of the latest allegation.

“I am writing to request an immediate postponement of any further proceedings related to the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh,” she said in a statement.

“I also ask that the newest allegations of sexual misconduct be referred to the FBI for investigation, and that you join our request for the White House to direct the FBI to investigate the allegations of Christine Blasey Ford as well as these new claims.”

Separately, lawyer Michael Avenatti — who represents adult film star Stormy Daniels in the dispute over her claim she was paid to remain silent about an alleged tryst with Trump — shared an email exchange on Twitter in which he promised the committee evidence of further misconduct by Kavanaugh at 1980s house parties.

Avenatti also confirmed he was not representing Ramirez.

At stake is not only the fate of Trump’s hand-picked Supreme Court nominee, but also Republican chances in November’s midterm elections that face increased risk if the polarizing confirmation battle drags on.

White House spokesperson Kerri Kupec dismissed Ramirez’s allegation as “the latest in a coordinated smear campaign by the Democrats designed to tear down a good man.”

Meanwhile, Lindsey Graham — a member of the panel that must approve Kavanaugh’s nomination before it goes to the full chamber — summed up the position of many Republicans by saying he did not expect Ford’s testimony to change his mind.

“What am I supposed to do? Go ahead and ruin this guy’s life based on an accusation?” he told Fox News Sunday.

“Unless there’s something more, no, I’m not going to ruin Judge Kavanaugh’s life over this.”

According to a YouGov poll conducted for CBS, more than half of Americans want an FBI investigation before a vote on Kavanaugh, but more than two-thirds of Republicans want a vote within days.

Republicans, who hold a paper-thin majority in the Senate, can ill afford defections if Kavanaugh is to be approved.

“If one Republican senator should decide that Dr Ford’s allegations, assertions, are true, and that they are serious, it could make a big difference in the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh,” Democratic Senator Dick Durbin said on ABC’s “This Week.”

After days of relative restraint, Trump lashed out at Ford on Friday, and in doing so may already have hurt his nominee’s chances with a senator from his own party.

Trump contended that Ford’s decision to wait so late before going public shows the incident probably was not “as bad as she says” — even if this runs counter to what experts say is the typical reaction of sexual assault victims afraid or embarrassed to report.

But Susan Collins — a Republican who sits on the Judiciary Committee — said she was “appalled” by Trump’s tweet, stressing that incidents of sexual assault were known to be chronically under-reported.

Trump’s outburst saw an outpouring of sympathy for Ford — and outrage at the president — as thousands of women, and men too, shared why they had kept silent after being assaulted, under the Twitter hashtag #WhyIDidntReport.</s>WASHINGTON — A second woman has come forward alleging sexual misconduct by embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, days before his scheduled testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in response to a previous allegation of sexual assault.

Deborah Ramirez, who attended Yale University with Kavanaugh, told The New Yorker that Kavanaugh pulled down his pants and exposed himself to her while they were classmates there.

“I remember a penis being in front of my face,” said Ramirez, who says she had been drinking. “I knew that's not what I wanted, even in that state of mind.”

She told the magazine that she pushed the person away.

“I was embarrassed and ashamed and humiliated,” she said. She added that she recalled Kavanaugh next to her, pulling up his pants. “Brett was laughing,” she said. “I can still see his face, and his hips coming forward, like when you pull up your pants.... Somebody yelled down the hall, ‘Brett Kavanaugh just put his penis in Debbie’s face,’” she said. “It was his full name. I don’t think it was just ‘Brett.’ And I remember hearing and being mortified that this was out there.”

In the last week, three sources familiar with the accusation told NBC about Ramirez's accusation. Ramirez, 53, is the same age as Kavanaugh and they both graduated from the university in 1987. Her sister Denise Ramirez was a year behind them at Yale.

Ramirez, who is now married and lives in Boulder, Colorado, is a volunteer and board member at a nonprofit group that helps victims of domestic violence, Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence. Ramirez referred NBC on Saturday to her lawyer, Stanley Garnett, who did not respond to requests for comment through the weekend.

The latest accusation comes as the Senate Judiciary Committee prepares to hear on Thursday from Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault when both were in high school. Earlier Saturday, Ford conditionally agreed to testify before the committee next week, though her attorneys indicated that several details surrounding her appearance were still being negotiated. Kavanaugh has already agreed to testify at the hearing, which had originally been scheduled for Monday.

Minutes after the release of The New Yorker's report, the White House released a pair of statements denying the claim.

“This alleged event from 35 years ago did not happen," said Kavanaugh. "The people who knew me then know that this did not happen, and have said so. This is a smear, plain and simple. I look forward to testifying on Thursday about the truth, and defending my good name — and the reputation for character and integrity I have spent a lifetime building — against these last-minute allegations.”

“This 35-year-old, uncorroborated claim is the latest in a coordinated smear campaign by the Democrats designed to tear down a good man," said White House spokesperson Kerri Kupec. "This claim is denied by all who were said to be present and is wholly inconsistent with what many women and men who knew Judge Kavanaugh at the time in college say. The White House stands firmly behind Judge Kavanaugh.”

The news comes at a critical moment for Kavanaugh's already-troubled nomination. Most Republicans, including President Donald Trump, have stood by Kavanaugh, but a handful of GOP senators — including several who have not yet pledged public support for his nomination — have expressed concern over Ford's allegations, and said her allegations could affect their support.

Trump, who has also faced accusations of sexual assault, stepped up his defense of Kavanaugh on Friday, questioning the legitimacy of Ford’s account in a series of tweets.

The president's comments have complicated Republican messaging as lawmakers look to avoid attacking Ford, an attempt to avoid a repeat of the Anita Hill hearings — the image of a panel of men aggressively questioning a woman's allegations against a high court nominee.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, a potential swing vote on Kavanaugh, said Friday she was “appalled” by Trump’s tweets. Sens. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Bob Corker, R-Tenn., are also critical votes. For Kavanaugh to be confirmed, Republicans can only afford to lose the support of two GOP members, if all Democrats oppose the nomination. Flake tweeted on Saturday that it was “good” that Ford had agreed to testify next week.

Kavanaugh’s troubled confirmation bid complicates midterm campaigning, with Election Day just six weeks away. Instead of focusing on an improving economy, Republicans, especially those running in competitive suburban House districts, have grappled with the fallout of ongoing chaos in Washington, with Kavanaugh's stalled nomination just the latest exhibit.

For the handful of Democratic senators running for re-election in red states, the impact of the Kavanaugh confirmation process has been unclear, with the nominee equally likely to serve as a motivating factor for voters on both the right and the left. Kavanaugh is the most unpopular Supreme Court nominee since 2005, according to NBC News polling — more unpopular than Harriet Miers, who was nominated by President George W. Bush but ultimately withdrew under criticism over her qualifications.

In an NBC News poll released on Thursday, Kavanaugh was supported by fewer people than opposed him, the first time a nominee has registered less support than opposition in that survey. While 34 percent of respondents support his nomination, 38 percent oppose it.</s>Two women have come forward to accuse Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, throwing his nomination to the Supreme Court into jeopardy.

Here's how the events unfolded in recent months:

President Donald Trump announces his nomination of Kavanaugh to the high court to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy.

At a White House ceremony revealing his choice, Trump describes Kavanaugh as a man of "impeccable credentials" and a "true thought-leader among his peers."

Christine Blasey Ford, a psychology professor in California, quietly sends a letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the committee. In the letter, she alleges that Kavanaugh physically and sexually assaulted her while they were in high school. Feinstein does not release the letter publicly, at Ford's request.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, announces that confirmation hearings for Kavanaugh will begin Sept. 4. Democrats complain that Republicans are trying to rush Kavanaugh's confirmation through the Senate without allowing them to see all the documents from Kavanaugh's tenure as an attorney in the administration of President George W. Bush.

Kavanaugh testifies for three days at confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee. On the fourth day, legal experts and other witnesses testify about his nomination. The allegations from Ford are never raised.

Feinstein sends Ford's letter to the FBI after several days of rumors about its existence leaking out from Democratic senators. The bureau puts the letter in Kavanaugh's background check file but does not launch a criminal investigation, in part because the statute of limitations on the alleged sexual assault expired years earlier.

Ford's allegations against Kavanaugh first publicly surface in a story by The New Yorker magazine. The bare bones story does not include Ford's name.

"I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation. I did not do this back in high school or at any time," Kavanaugh says in a statement.

The White House says there are no plans to pull Kavanaugh's nomination.

The Washington Post publishes an interview with Ford, who allows her name to be released publicly for the first time. She alleges in the story that a drunken Kavanaugh pinned her down on a bed at a high school house party and tried to remove her clothes while holding his hand over her mouth to stop her from screaming. Ford says she feared Kavanaugh might inadvertently kill her. Kavanaugh again denies that the incident ever took place.

Grassley scraps the confirmation vote on Kavanaugh that the committee was scheduled to hold Sept. 21 and says the panel will hold a hearing Sept. 24 to hear from both Ford and Kavanaugh about the sexual assault allegations.

Attorneys for the Judiciary Committee negotiate with Ford's attorneys after Ford says she will not be ready to testify on the 24th. Deadlines for a deal are repeatedly set and moved during the tense talks.

Ford agrees to testify publicly at a committee hearing Sept. 27. Grassley says Kavanaugh will testify after Ford.

Later that day, The New Yorker releases a report that a second woman has come forward with sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh. Deborah Ramirez, a woman who attended Yale University with Kavanaugh, accuses Kavanaugh of exposing himself at a dorm party and "thrusting his penis" in her face, according to the story. The alleged incident occurred during the 1983-84 academic year, the story says.

Separately, Attorney Michael Avenatti, who represents porn star Stormy Daniels in her hush-money case against Trump, tweets that he represents a third woman with "information" on Kavanaugh.

Kavanaugh sends a letter to Grassley and Feinstein declaring that he "will not be intimidated into withdrawing from this process."

"The coordinated effort to destroy my good name will not drive me out," he writes. "The vile threats of violence against my family will not drive me out. The last-minute character assassination will not succeed."

Trump blasts the allegations against Kavanaugh as "totally political" and says, "I am with him all the way."

More: 'I'm not going to ruin Judge Kavanaugh's life over this': Sen. Graham doubts Ford's story

More: Democrats ask Kavanaugh to withdraw as Republicans cast doubt on second assault allegation</s>Days before Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee to address Christine Blasey Ford's allegations of sexual assault, a second woman has come forward alleging sexual misconduct.

Deborah Ramirez, who attended Yale University with Kavanaugh, told The New Yorker that Kavanaugh pulled down his pants and exposed himself to her while they were classmates there.

“I remember a penis being in front of my face,” said Ramirez, who says she had been drinking. “I knew that's not what I wanted, even in that state of mind.”

In the last week, three sources familiar with the accusation told NBC about Ramirez's accusation. Ramirez, 53, is the same age as Kavanaugh and they both graduated from the university in 1987. Her sister Denise Ramirez was a year behind them at Yale.

Kavanaugh denied the allegation and the White House called it a "smear campaign" in a statement.</s>Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is expected to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday to address one of two allegations of sexual assault leveled against him.

His accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, agreed to appear before the committee the same day to testify about the alleged assault, which she said took place during a high school party. A second person stepped forward to accuse Kavanaugh of an assault while in college.

Here's a breakdown of the key figures in the allegations against Kavanaugh.

In this file photo taken on Sept. 4, 2018, Judge Brett Kavanaugh looks on during his Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing to be an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court, on Capitol Hill in Washington.

Christine Blasey Ford. The psychology researcher and professor at Palo Alto University in California said that during a party in 1982, while both were in high school, Kavanaugh held her down and forcibly tried to remove her clothing. Kavanaugh denied the accusation. Ford agreed to testify before the Senate on Thursday.

Deborah Ramirez. A former classmate of Kavanaugh's when both attended Yale University alleged in an article published by The New Yorker that Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a party. Ramirez said the incident left her "embarrassed and ashamed and humiliated." Kavanaugh denied the allegation.

The Senate Judiciary Committee hearing room on Capitol Hill in Washington on Sept. 21, 2018. Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford are scheduled to testify about Ford's sexual assault allegation in the room on Sept. 27, 2018.

Mark Judge. A classmate of Kavanaugh's at Georgetown Preparatory School in North Bethesda, Maryland, was accused by Ford of being in the room, watching and laughing during the alleged assault. Ford said Judge inadvertently helped her escape by jumping on top of her and Kavanaugh, knocking them off the bed. Judge's writings during high school – including a yearbook quote that read, "Certain women should be struck regularly, like gongs" – have been scrutinized.

Michael Avenatti. The attorney representing Stormy Daniels in her case against President Donald Trump over alleged "hush money" said in a series of tweets that he represents a third woman with "information" on Kavanaugh. He specified the woman was not Ramirez.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein. California's senior senator, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, received a letter July 30 from Ford detailing the accusations against Kavanaugh. Feinstein waited until Kavanaugh's initial Supreme Court confirmation hearings ended before handing the letter over to authorities and Congress. Feinstein said she wanted to honor Ford's request for confidentiality. In an interview with The Washington Post, Ford said she did not want to identify herself over fears of what the revelation would do to her and her family.

Sen. Chuck Grassley. The Senate Judiciary Committee chairman has the final word on how the nomination process is handled.Over the past week, the Iowa Republican's team and Ford's attorneys negotiated the details of Ford's testimony before Congress.

More: What we know about Deborah Ramirez, the second woman to accuse Kavanaugh of sexual assault

More: Analysis: Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation sets up a high-stakes trade-off for the GOP</s>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, who accuses him of sexually assaulting her decades ago (all times local):

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is denying a second allegation of sexual misconduct.

The White House released a statement from the nominee Sunday after the allegations in a New Yorker article in which a woman, Deborah Rodriguez, a former Yale classmate, alleged he exposed himself and thrust his penis in her face during a drunken dormitory party.

Kavanaugh says the event “did not happen” and that the allegation is “a smear, plain and simple.”

A White House spokeswoman adds in a second statement that the allegation is “designed to tear down a good man.”

Kavanaugh is slated to testify Thursday about the first allegation of sexual assault, dating back from a high school party more than 35 years ago. His accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, is also set to testify.

The New Yorker magazine is reporting that Senate Democrats are investigating a second woman’s accusation of sexual misconduct by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh from his teenage years.

In a story posted Sunday night on its website, The New Yorker reports that the claim dates to the 1983-84 academic year, Kavanaugh’s freshman year at Yale University.

The New Yorker identifies the woman as 53-year-old Deborah Ramirez. The magazine says she described the incident in an interview after being contacted by the magazine.

The magazine says Ramirez remembers that Kavanaugh exposed himself at a drunken dormitory party, thrust his penis in her face, and caused her to touch it without her consent as she pushed him away.

In a statement provided by the White House, Kavanaugh denies the event ever happened.

After days of negotiations, the Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a hearing Thursday for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and a woman, Christine Blasey Ford, who says he sexually assaulted her as a teenager.

The two have agreed to a date and time after nearly a week of uncertainty over whether Ford would appear at all. The agreement sets the stage for a dramatic showdown as Kavanaugh and Ford each tell their side of the story.

The hearing will also determine the fate of Kavanaugh’s confirmation, which hangs on the votes of a handful of senators. It had seemed assured before the 51-year-old California college professor went public a week ago with her allegation that Kavanaugh assaulted her at a party when they were in high school.

Top Democrats are asking President Donald Trump again to direct the FBI to investigate Christine Blasey Ford’s claim that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when both were teenagers.

Trump and Senate Republicans have repeatedly said an investigation is not necessary. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, sent a letter to Trump on Sunday saying the FBI has more than enough time before Ford and Kavanaugh testify on Thursday.

Schumer and Feinstein write that Trump’s comments this past week about getting to the bottom of the charges is “is merely lip service unless you are willing to direct the FBI to investigate.”

Senate Judiciary Committee staff have written lawyers for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, and said they would do everything they could to “provide a safe, comfortable, and dignified forum” for her testimony Thursday. But they also say the committee will decide who testifies, in what order and how they will be questioned.

In an email exchange between the committee and Ford’s lawyers obtained by The Associated Press, a counsel for Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley wrote that the terms over which witnesses to call and questioning are “non-negotiable.” Ford’s lawyers asked for several conditions surrounding her testimony.

Davis wrote that they would hold the hearing in the Judiciary panel’s regular hearing room, which is small. He said that was to avoid a “circus” atmosphere.

A spokesman for the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee is confirming that the committee will hold a public hearing Thursday on the sexual assault allegation that’s been made against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

That word comes from Taylor Foy, an aide to Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, soon after lawyers for Kavanaugh accuser Christine Blasey Ford said in a statement that they were “committed to moving forward with an open hearing” on that day.

The Ford lawyers’ statement also said further details about the upcoming hearing are still to be worked out.

At issue is Ford’s accusation stemming from an incident she says took place when she and Kavanaugh were teenagers.

Attorneys for Brett Kavanaugh’s accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, are citing “important progress” on a high-stakes public hearing to air out her decades-old sexual assault claim against the Supreme Court nominee.

Her attorneys say they have committed to a 10 a.m. hearing on Thursday and accept the committee’s decision not to subpoena Mark Judge, a Kavanaugh friend who Ford asserts was present when the incident occurred.

But they say the Republican-controlled Senate panel hasn’t said who will be asking questions of her and Kavanaugh. The Senate Judiciary Committee’s 11 Republicans — all men — have been seeking an outside female attorney to interrogate Ford.

Ford’s attorneys say the committee has not indicated when they will respond, but said the remaining “procedural and logistical issues” will “not impede the hearing taking place.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham says Brett Kavanaugh’s accuser will be treated “respectfully” by the Senate Judiciary Committee, but both witnesses “will be challenged” over the sexual assault allegation from decades ago she’s made against the Supreme Court nominee.

Talks continue between the GOP-run committee and Christine Blasey Ford’s lawyer over details of a tentative agreement for a hearing Thursday.

Graham says Ford’s lawyers are contesting two conditions for her testimony — that Ford and Kavanaugh will be the only witnesses and that an independent counsel will ask the questions.

The South Carolina Republican tells “Fox News Sunday” that “I hope she comes. I will listen if she does.”

But he adds that “unless there’s something more” to back up her accusation, he’s “not going to ruin Judge Kavanaugh’s life over this.”

A Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee says Brett Kavanaugh’s accuser deserves a fair hearing to determine whether her allegations of sexual assault are “serious” enough to vote down his Supreme Court nomination.

Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, acknowledged that lawmakers will “probably not” be able to know the truth of Christine Blasey Ford’s decades-old allegation that Kavanaugh assaulted her at a house party when they were teenagers.

Durbin indicated that Democrats are likely to ask about Kavanaugh’s drinking history because Ford has alleged Kavanaugh was “stumbling drunk” when it happened.

Durbin told ABC’s “This Week” that some Republicans “reached out to Democratic senators and assured them that they are looking to this as kind of a determination as to how their final vote” on Kavanaugh is cast.

Talks are set to continue on tentative agreement for a Thursday hearing for Brett Kavanaugh’s accuser to tell the Senate Judiciary Committee about her allegation that the Supreme Court nominee sexually assaulted her decades ago.

Lawyers for Christine Blasey Ford and representatives of the committee came to the tentative agreement late Saturday. Kavanaugh also is set to appear at the hearing.

Some details, such as the order of their testimony, are being negotiated, and talks are expected to continue Sunday.</s>Brett Kavanaugh is taking to Fox News to do some warm-up work before Thursday’s appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee to address sexual assault and misconduct allegations.

If you guessed Kavanaugh will have his wife by his side during tonight’s 7 PM ET interview on Martha MacCallum’s The Story, go the head of the class.

Kavanaugh will address allegations of sexual assault/misconduct made by former Yale classmate Deborah Ramirez, and by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who knew Kavanaugh during his Georgetown Prep days. Ramirez alleges Kavanaugh exposed himself and thrust his penis in her face at a dorm party when they were Yale undergrad students. Ford claims Kavanaugh attempted to remove her clothing, and covered her mouth so she could not scream, during a party at Georgetown Prep.

It’s unclear if Kavanaugh also will address tweets by Michael Avenatti, who says he represents a woman with “credible information regarding Judge Kavanaugh” who is not either of the two above named women.

Plus, Montgomery County, Maryland authorities confirmed Monday to the Montgomery Sentinel that they are aware of yet another possible sexual assault complaint in that county against Kavanaugh. Montgomery County is where Georgetown Prep is located. Investigators elaborate, other than to say they are looking at allegations against Kavanaugh during his senior year in high school, based on an anonymous witness who came forward over the weekend.

That could bring to four the number of women who have made accusations against Kavanaugh.

During his Fox News interview, his wife, Ashley, will address the allegations her husband is facing. To be clear, Kavanaugh is in the running for a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court and his wife does not get a vote.</s>Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, backed up here by his wife Ashley, sat for three straight days before the Senate Judiciary Committee in early September.

WASHINGTON – Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh flatly denied allegations of sexual misconduct leveled against him and said he plans to fight for confirmation to the nation's highest court, according to excerpts of a Fox News interview scheduled to air Monday night.

"I'm not going anywhere," he told Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum as his wife, Ashley Kavanaugh, sat next to him.

Two women have publicly come forward to accuse Kavanaugh of alleged past incidents of sexual misconduct since his initial confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this month.

Kavanaugh is scheduled to appear before the committee on Thursday to defend himself against an allegation of sexual assault against him by Palo Alto University professor Christine Blasey Ford.

Late Sunday, a second woman – Deborah Ramirez, a Yale University classmate of Kavanaugh's – came forward with claims that he exposed himself to her and shoved his penis in her face at a dorm room party in their freshman year at the Ivy League school. She said they were playing a drinking game at the time and admits there are gaps in her memory of that night.

In the Fox News interview on "The Story with Martha MacCallum," Kavanaugh said he's never done what he's being accused of – to anyone.

“The truth is I’ve never sexually assaulted anyone, in high school or otherwise," he said according to an excerpt released by Fox News. "I am not questioning and have not questioned that perhaps Dr. Ford at some point in her life was sexually assaulted by someone at some place, but what I know is I’ve never sexually assaulted anyone.”

Kavanaugh also told MacCallum he's resolute about not letting "false accusations" force him to withdraw.

"We’re looking for a fair process where I can be heard and defend my integrity my lifelong record," he said, according to an excerpt. "My lifelong record of promoting dignity and equality for women starting with the women who knew me when I was 14 years old. I’m not going anywhere.

“I want a fair process where I can defend my integrity, and I know I’m telling the truth. I know my lifelong record, and I’m not going to let false accusations drive me out of this process. I have faith in God and I have faith in the fairness of the American people.”

Ignoring calls from Democrats who want at least a delay on a confirmation vote, the White House and congressional Republicans are showing no signs of abandoning Kavanaugh.

President Donald Trump nominated the federal appeals court judge in July to succeed Anthony Kennedy, who retired from the bench.

"There’s a chance that this could be one of the single-most unfair, unjust things to happen to a candidate for anything," Trump said following a meeting Monday afternoon at the United Nations. “In my opinion, it’s totally political ... Brett Kavanaugh is an absolutely outstanding person. Hopefully he will be confirmed quickly.”

In the interview, which was taped before McCallum's show was to air at 7 p.m. EDT, Kavanaugh essentially repeated what he wrote in a letter sent Monday to Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley and ranking member Dianne Feinstein.

In the letter, Kavanaugh strongly denies the allegations of sexual assault and accuses Democrats of "grotesque and obvious character assassination" that would dissuade qualified people of entering public service in the future.

"I will not be intimidated into withdrawing from this process," Kavanaugh wrote.
A second woman accuses US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct. However, others she identified as witnesses have denied any such act occurred.