Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins attacked Julie Swetnick for her allegations that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh participated in a high school party that involved boys drugging and gang-raping women back in her speech on the Senate floor Friday afternoon.
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“We must always remember that it is when passions are most inflamed that fairness is most in jeopardy. The presumption of innocence is relevant to the advice and consent function when an accusation departs from a nominee’s otherwise exemplary record,” Collins stated. “I worry that departing from this presumption could lead to a lack of public faith in the judiciary and would be hugely damaging to the confirmation process moving forward.”
“Some of the allegations levied against Judge Kavanaugh illustrate why the presumption of innocence is so important. I am thinking, in particular, not at the allegations raised by Professor Ford, but of the allegations that when he was a teenager, Judge Kavanaugh drugged multiple girls and used their weakened state to facilitate gang rape,” she continued.
“This outlandish allegation was put forth without any credible supporting evidence and simply parroted public statements of others,” Collins added. “That such an allegation can find its way into the Supreme Court confirmation process is a stark reminder about why the presumption of innocence is so ingrained in our American consciousness.” (RELATED: Brett Kavanaugh Third Accuser Explains What Made Her Come Forward – Her Timeline Is Full Of Holes)
At the end of her speech, Collins announced her intent to vote in favor of confirming Judge Kavanaugh. Her vote essentially solidifies the vote, although the official vote will not take place until the weekend.
.@SenatorCollins is channeling Donald Trump. Entirely disingenuous and shameful. Where was she when Judge Garland could not even get an up or down vote? This is all about her post-office job opportunities on K street. We shall never forget. Not in Nov. Not in 2020. Not ever.
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) October 5, 2018
Julie Swetnick’s lawyer, Michael Avenatti, who also represents Stormy Daniels, tweeted out his condemnation of Collins for her voting for Kavanaugh. He said that she “should be ashamed of herself for attacking my client and Dr. Ford. How did she make a credibility determination as to my client?”
.@SenatorCollins should be ashamed of herself for attacking my client and Dr. Ford. How did she make a credibility determination as to my client? How is she qualified to do that without ANY investigation? She did ZERO to determine whether my client and her witnesses were credible
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) October 5, 2018
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