Ronan Farrow said on ABC's "Good Morning America" on Monday that Senate Democrats came looking for Deborah Ramirez, who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct while they were college students.
"She came forward because Senate Democrats began looking at this claim. She did not flag this for those Democrats. This came to the attention of people on the Hill independently and it’s really cornered her into an awkward position," Farrow said.
Farrow and Jane Mayer reported in the New Yorker Sunday about Ramirez's accusations against Kavanaugh, which involve Kavanaugh exposing himself at a dorm party during his freshmen year at Yale. She claims Kavanaugh thrust his penis into her face at the party, causing her to inadvertently touch it as she pushed him away.
Kavanaugh has denied the accusation and called it a smear.
"This alleged event from 35 years ago did not happen," Kavanaugh wrote in a statement. "The people who knew me then know that this did not happen, and have said so. This is a smear, plain and simple. I look forward to testifying on Thursday about the truth, and defending my good name—and the reputation for character and integrity I have spent a lifetime building—against these last-minute allegations."
"She said, point-blank, I don’t want to ruin anyone’s life, but she feels this is a serious claim," Farrow said in regards to Ramirez. "She considers her own memories credible and she felt it was important to tell her own story before others did for her."
Ramirez was initially "reluctant to characterize Kavanaugh’s role in the alleged incident with certainty," according to the New Yorker, and she admitted to having gaps in her memories. However, "After six days of carefully assessing her memories and consulting with her attorney" she "felt confident enough of her recollections" to tell her story.
Host George Stephanopoulos pointed out Monday, "at first she wasn't sure this was Kavanaugh, after you first came to her," and he said it stood out that she took days to consult her memory and others before deciding to come forward.
"I would say that's extremely typical of these stories, when you're dealing with trauma, alcohol, many years in between. I think that the more cautious witnesses that I've dealt with in cases like this very frequently say 'I want to take time to decide, I want to talk to other people involved, I want to search myself, and make sure I can affirmatively stand by theses claims,'" Farrow said.
The New York Times, which was also made aware of Ramirez's allegations, reported it "interviewed several dozen people over the past week in an attempt to corroborate her story, and could find no one with firsthand knowledge" of the alleged incident.
This allegation comes after Christine Blasey Ford accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were both in high school. No eyewitnesses have come forward to corroborate that allegation as well, and four people Ford says were at the party–including Kavanaugh–have denied knowledge of the party she described or any assault.
Senate Democrats have been vehemently opposed Kavanaugh since he was announced as President Donald Trump's nominee. Sen. Mazie Hirono (D., Hawaii) insinuated on Sunday that Kavanaugh does not get the presumption of innocence because of his "ideological agenda," citing his views on abortion.