Both Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, the professor who has accused of him of sexual assault as a teenager, have received a slew of death threats in recent days, CNN has learned.
Citing an internal law enforcement report that details threats to the protectee, a senior administration official told CNN Thursday that the number of death threats made against Supreme Court nominee Kavanaugh and his family have increased since Ford’s allegations came to light. The official said there are several current threats against the Kavanaughs that law enforcement deems credible, while several others have been opened and closed since he was nominated.
Kavanaugh, who is married with two daughters, has received around-the-clock protection from US Marshals since President Donald Trump nominated him to the bench in July. Negotiations are ongoing for a possible public hearing next week with Kavanaugh and Ford.
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Kavanaugh’s wife Ashley is the town manager of the area of Chevy Chase, Maryland, where they live. She has also been harassed, receiving multiple graphic emails from her husband’s critics since he was accused of assault. In one email received Tuesday, an Internet user wrote “Hi Ashley” in the subject line.
“My condolences to you for being married to a rapist. Although you probably deserve it,” the person wrote in an email obtained by CNN.
Another message sent Wednesday had the subject line, “F*** YOU AND YOUR RAPIST HUSBAND.”
Both emails were sent to her government email account.
Ford, who is also married with two teenaged sons, has received death threats of her own.
In an email sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday, Ford’s attorney Debra Katz wrote, “As you are aware, she has been receiving death threats, which have been reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and she and her family have been forced out of their home.”
Ford’s other attorney, Lisa Banks, also wrote a letter to the committee saying that her client had been the subject of “vicious harassment,” including death threats.
“As a result of these kind of threats, her family was forced to relocate out of their home. Her email has been hacked, and she has been impersonated online,” Banks wrote in the letter.
Ford has not been seen publicly for several days.