A friend of Christine Blasey Ford said Wednesday that, contrary to claims by Ford’s onetime boyfriend, the psychology professor did not coach her on taking a polygraph exam in the 1990s.
Monica McLean’s statement was released by Ford’s lawyers after the ex-boyfriend wrote to the Senate Judiciary Committee claiming that she had advised her friend on polygraph tests before government job interviews.
“I have NEVER had Christine Blasey Ford, or anybody else, prepare me, or provide any other type of assistance whatsoever in connection with any polygraph exam I have taken at any time,” McLean said in the statement relayed by attorneys Michael Bromwich and Debra Katz.
In her testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, Ford had said she never coached anyone on polygraphs.
Ford appeared before the committee to accuse Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her while the two were in high school. According to her emotional testimony, Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed, covered her mouth with his hand and attempted to forcibly remove her clothing. In his own testimony, Kavanaugh denied Ford’s accusation, at times yelling, crying and interrupting senators.
On Tuesday, the anonymous ex-boyfriend sent a letter to lawmakers contending that she had helped McLean prepare for a polygraph test. He also said that Ford never mentioned the alleged assault while the two were dating between 1992 and 1998.
The FBI’s investigation into the sexual misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh, which could finish before the end of the week, has been criticized by Ford’s attorneys as not thorough enough. On Wednesday, after an NBC report said the bureau had no intention of interviewing Ford, her lawyers demanded they be allowed to speak with investigators.
“It is inconceivable that the FBI could conduct a thorough investigation of Dr. Ford’s allegations without interviewing her, Judge Kavanaugh, or the witnesses we have identified in our letters to you,” they wrote.