Tentative deal struck for Christine Blasey Ford Brett Kavanaugh to publicly testify on Thursday

Brett Kavanaugh.J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Christine Blasey Ford has accepted the Senate Judiciary Committee's request to testify against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
Ford alleges that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a high school party in the 1980s. Kavanaugh denies the accusation.
In a letter to the committee's counsel, Ford's lawyers wrote that the committee's proposal was "fundamentally inconsistent" with its promise of a fair and impartial investigation.
They also said they were "disappointed with the leaks and the bullying that have tainted the process," but that they hope to reach agreement on the details of Ford's testimony.

Lawyers representing Christine Blasey Ford say she has accepted the Senate Judiciary Committee’s request to testify about her allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, The Washington Post reported.

In a letter to the committee's counsel, Ford's lawyers wrote, "Although many aspects of the proposal you provided via email ... are fundamentally inconsistent with the Committee's promise of a fair, impartial investigation into her allegations, and we are disappointed with the leaks and the bullying that have tainted the process, we are hopeful that we can reach agreement on details."

They then asked if they could set up a call with the committee to negotiate over other specifics of Ford's testimony.

The decision comes after days of back and forth between Ford and Republicans on the committee over the date and terms of her testimony.

Ford has accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her during a high school party in the 1980s. Kavanaugh denies it. Ford's attorneys have also asked that the FBI investigate, but President Donald Trump has resisted the request. He said the FBI is not interested in investigating Ford’s allegations, even though the FBI routinely conducts background checks on presidential nominees.

Committee chairman Chuck Grassley proposed a Wednesday hearing, during which Ford can speak to senators on the committee and Kavanaugh can formally respond. The lawmakers initially floated a Monday hearing, but Ford's attorneys pushed back.

In a letter to the committee cited by CNN on Friday night, Ford's lawyer, Debra Katz, scolded the committee for taking what she called a "cavalier" attitude toward "a sexual assault survivor who has been doing her best to cooperate with the Committee."

Grassley granted Ford’s legal team’s request for more time to decide, and then fumed about it in a series of tweets late Friday night. He initially gave Ford's attorneys until Friday at 10 p.m. ET to respond to a request to have Ford testify to lawmakers. Ford's attorney said, "our modest request is that she be given an additional day to make decision."

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