Before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Thursday morning, Christine Blasey Ford was interrogated about her memory of the night she alleges Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her.
During her opening statement, Ford detailed a gathering where she was forced into a bedroom.
“I was pushed onto the bed and Brett got on top of me,” she said. “He began running his hands over my body and grinding his hips into me.”
Kavanaugh has denied the accusations and is scheduled to testify on the issue later Thursday.
During the question period, members of the committee pressed Ford, who is a professor of psychology, on whether she remembered correctly.
When asked how she was “so sure that it was he” who had assaulted her, Ford replied, “The same way that I’m sure I’m talking to you right now. Just basic memory functions.
“Also, just the level of norepinephrine and epinephrine in the brain that sort of encodes …. memories into the hippocampus so the trauma-related experience is locked there, whereas other details sort of drift.”
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Christine Blasey Ford’s full statement to U.S. Senate on alleged sexual assault by Brett Kavanaugh
She also reiterated that it was “absolutely not” a case of mistaken identity.
“With what degree of certainty, do you believe Brett Kavanaugh assaulted you?” Democratic Senator Richard Durbin asked Ford.
“One hundred percent,” she replied, remaining firm and unruffled through hours of testimony, even under questioning by a sex crimes prosecutor hired by the committee’s Republicans.
There has been speculation surrounding the identity of Ford’s attacker. Republicans have questioned the credibility of Ford based in part on what they say is a lack of corroboration of the events — there are no witnesses that have placed Kavanaugh at the gathering
WATCH: Ford says ‘laughter’ from Kavanaugh during alleged assault has stayed
Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy also asked about her strongest memory of the event.
The “uproarious laughter between the two (Kavanaugh and his friend Mark Judge) and their having fun at my expense,” Ford said.
She said the laughter has haunted her ever since.
Republican members of the committee deferred questions to lawyer Rachel Mitchell, a sexual assault prosecutor.
Mitchell pressed Ford on details of the assault, including the timeline of the day of the assault.
She also pressed Ford on the events leading up to the hearing, including who knew about the allegations and when they knew.
While some Republicans and Trump have called the allegations by Ford and the two other women part of a smear campaign, Ford told the committee she had no political motivation, adding, “I am an independent person and I am no pawn.”
Kavanaugh was scheduled to answer questions at the committee Thursday afternoon, following Ford’s testimony. His confirmation vote is due to take place Friday.
*with files from Reuters
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