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- Mar 2, 2013
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Separate from the FBI now looking into the allegations against Kav, I sincerely hope there is an investigation - by the Senate, FBI, whomever - into DiFi’s/her office’s obstruction and mishandling of this allegation upon her receipt of the letter from Ford, as well as the leak of that information to the press which ultimately compromised Ford’s privacy and triggered the series of serious threats against not only her family but Kav’s.
Regardless of where you stand in this particular case, I don’t think anyone wants any elected member of Congress to be so irresponsible in the handling of such sensitive information. And if ANYTHING, the mishandling of Ford’s letter to her two representatives does not encourage any victim to feel comfortable coming forward about their experiences in terms of receiving the confidential handling such a victim and/or his/her allegation deserves in any possible quest for justice.
When you heard/read Dr. Ford’s own testimony, she stated she reached out to DiFi so that her allegations could be considered by “the senate” in their consideration of Kav’s nomination. At no time that I have heard or read (in her original letter to DiFi or in her testimony) did Ford say she wanted ONLY DiFi to be aware of this allegation; only that she wanted her letter to be kept confidential. Her own testimony at the hearing is consistent with this. Contrary to DiFi’s statements, Ford repeatedly says “the Senate” ... not “my Senator” or “my representative” ... she says “the Senate”. That means not only DiFi and her colleagues on the left, but every member of the Senate, or at the very minimum the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Ford’s words from her testimony:
It has been stated repeatedly that the Senate Judiciary Committee has an established, confidential process for handling such allegations that come up in the course of their hearings/investigations/etc. It would seem DiFi had a duty to leverage that confidential process to - at a very minimum - make the committee confidentially aware of the existence of this allegation, even if they held that information in confidence and did not call for an FBI investigation until such time as Dr. Ford chose to go public. Her mishandling here - as well as the silence by her own party about her mishandling - is absolutely disingenuous considering only two weeks early, every member on "that side of the dais" did nothing but complain, complain, complain about the lack of information being shared pertaining to this nomination. Yet they remain silent now ... when it’s ‘one of their own’.
Instead, DiFi reached in her Rolodex, and plucked out the name of a well-known liberal-leaning law firm ... a firm that recently was the headlining sponsor of a fundraising event for a Dem candidate and “End Citizens United” PAC. A firm who - by Ford’s own testimony - did not reveal to their client that the Senate offered to travel to her so they could take her testimony in a private and comfortable manner for Ford. A firm who - by Ford’s own testimony - did not advise their client she could have leveraged other examiners for the polygraph they advised her to get. A firm who did not advise - as Ms. Mitchell suggested - their client to have a private interview about her experience that tends to yield more details & memories to help bolster a victim’s case.
None of DiFi’s actions - IMO - appear to have had Dr. Ford’s best interest in mind, nor do they appear to be respectful of the very committee & elected body to which she is a member. If there is any care by anyone to ensure victims’ allegations are taken seriously and handled properly and sensitively, they should also call for an investigation into the mishandling of Ford’s allegations from Day 1 by DiFi.
At the VERY least, let this be a lesson to any victim that your own elected official is likely the LAST person to have your best interests at heart when you need them most.
Regardless of where you stand in this particular case, I don’t think anyone wants any elected member of Congress to be so irresponsible in the handling of such sensitive information. And if ANYTHING, the mishandling of Ford’s letter to her two representatives does not encourage any victim to feel comfortable coming forward about their experiences in terms of receiving the confidential handling such a victim and/or his/her allegation deserves in any possible quest for justice.
When you heard/read Dr. Ford’s own testimony, she stated she reached out to DiFi so that her allegations could be considered by “the senate” in their consideration of Kav’s nomination. At no time that I have heard or read (in her original letter to DiFi or in her testimony) did Ford say she wanted ONLY DiFi to be aware of this allegation; only that she wanted her letter to be kept confidential. Her own testimony at the hearing is consistent with this. Contrary to DiFi’s statements, Ford repeatedly says “the Senate” ... not “my Senator” or “my representative” ... she says “the Senate”. That means not only DiFi and her colleagues on the left, but every member of the Senate, or at the very minimum the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Ford’s words from her testimony:
It has been stated repeatedly that the Senate Judiciary Committee has an established, confidential process for handling such allegations that come up in the course of their hearings/investigations/etc. It would seem DiFi had a duty to leverage that confidential process to - at a very minimum - make the committee confidentially aware of the existence of this allegation, even if they held that information in confidence and did not call for an FBI investigation until such time as Dr. Ford chose to go public. Her mishandling here - as well as the silence by her own party about her mishandling - is absolutely disingenuous considering only two weeks early, every member on "that side of the dais" did nothing but complain, complain, complain about the lack of information being shared pertaining to this nomination. Yet they remain silent now ... when it’s ‘one of their own’.
Instead, DiFi reached in her Rolodex, and plucked out the name of a well-known liberal-leaning law firm ... a firm that recently was the headlining sponsor of a fundraising event for a Dem candidate and “End Citizens United” PAC. A firm who - by Ford’s own testimony - did not reveal to their client that the Senate offered to travel to her so they could take her testimony in a private and comfortable manner for Ford. A firm who - by Ford’s own testimony - did not advise their client she could have leveraged other examiners for the polygraph they advised her to get. A firm who did not advise - as Ms. Mitchell suggested - their client to have a private interview about her experience that tends to yield more details & memories to help bolster a victim’s case.
None of DiFi’s actions - IMO - appear to have had Dr. Ford’s best interest in mind, nor do they appear to be respectful of the very committee & elected body to which she is a member. If there is any care by anyone to ensure victims’ allegations are taken seriously and handled properly and sensitively, they should also call for an investigation into the mishandling of Ford’s allegations from Day 1 by DiFi.
At the VERY least, let this be a lesson to any victim that your own elected official is likely the LAST person to have your best interests at heart when you need them most.