Washington Free Beacon senior writer Elizabeth Harrington recommended considering the source, attorney Michael Avenatti, of the most recent misconduct allegation levied against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
"You've got to consider the source with this third allegation, which is the porn lawyer who clearly has an axe to grind with the president," Harrington said.
Harrington appeared on Fox Business' "Cavuto: Coast to Coast" to talk about the allegations made Wednesday by a woman represented by Avenatti, who is better known for representing adult film actress Stormy Daniels in her lawsuit against the president. Julie Swetnick accuses Kavanaugh of having facilitated and attended "gang rape" parties in the early 1980s, during which she says she was once a victim. Kavanaugh immediately denied the allegation, calling it something from the "Twilight Zone."
"It's so over the top; it's hard to believe," Harrington said.
President Donald Trump tweeted about the latest allegation, saying "Avenatti is a third rate lawyer who is good at making false accusations, like he did on me and like he is now doing on Judge Brett Kavanaugh. He is just looking for attention and doesn’t want people to look at his past record and relationships - a total low-life!"
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1044991766309621760
The first allegation made against Kavanaugh by Christine Blasey Ford was known by Senate Democrats in July but not revealed until September. The second allegation was then broken by the New Yorker's Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer on Sunday.
"That's been the Democrats' playbook from the beginning. They've had the first allegation since July. Then they had the second allegation, who according to Ronan Farrow, the Democrats were looking for," Harrington said. "Now you have this third one ... the Democrats are going to bring up everything Kavanaugh said in that [Fox News] interview."
In a Fox News interview with Martha MacCallum on Monday, Kavanaugh denied having ever engaged in sexual misconduct and said he did not have sexual intercourse while in high school.
"It wasn't enough to accuse him of being an attempted rapist," Harrington said, "now they have to accuse him of being a 'gang' rapist."
On whether Kavanaugh's nomination should be withdrawn, Harrington said it would set a dangerous precedent.
"It's a horrible precedent to set, if that is the standard, of just being accused, you throw it out, with no corroborating evidence. With Dr. Ford, you've actually had more people come on the record, under penalty of perjury ... that Kavanuagh wasn't there, that it didn't happen."
On Democrats' attempts to delay Kavanaugh's hearing, Harrington said it was part of their playbook.
"They don't want this seat to be filled, they want to keep this seat until after the election, and I don't think Republicans should let them get away with it," she said.
In a prepared statement for a Thursday hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Kavanaugh called the allegations made against him a "last minute smear campaign."
Trump has defended his nominee, calling the accusations against him "completely political" and saying it is a "complete disgrace what is going on."