• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for

2

'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down

3

The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow

1

Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for

2

'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down

3

The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow
LeadershipBrett ­Kavanaugh

How Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s Second Sexual Assault Allegation Could Change Everything

By
Hallie Detrick
Hallie Detrick
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Hallie Detrick
Hallie Detrick
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 24, 2018, 5:50 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

On Sunday, The New Yorker published new accusations of sexual misconduct against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Kavanaugh’s Yale classmate Deborah Ramirez told Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer that he had exposed himself to her, thrust his penis in her face, and that she touched his penis while pushing him away. The new allegations come days before Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who says Kavanaugh assaulted her when they were both in high school, is scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Here’s why Ramirez’s story matters:

Kavanaugh was an adult

Since Blasey Ford first came forward with her accusation that Kavanaugh had assaulted her, many public figures have argued that behavior as a minor should have no bearing on whether Kavanaugh is confirmed. Some even suggested that such behavior was normal for teenage boys. As Former Congressman Joe Walsh tweeted, “If stupid, bad, or drunken behavior as a minor back in high school were the standard, every male politician in Washington, DC would fail. Every single one. Hypocrites.” But the incident Ramirez describes occurred when the two were freshmen at Yale, when Kavanaugh was 18. This may not stop Kavanaugh’s defenders from arguing that these incidents, if they occurred, were youthful indiscretions, but it does undercut the argument from a legal perspective.

There were more witnesses

Blasey Ford has been accused of fabricating her allegation because the only person she said was in the room, Mark Judge, has denied any knowledge of such events. In addition, two other people Blasey Ford said were at the party have said they don’t recall having attended. By contrast, The New Yorker was able to speak to several classmates of Ramirez and Kavanaugh’s who recall having heard of the incident at the time. While they were unable to find an eyewitness to place Kavanaugh at the party, the contemporaneous corroboration of an event whose details match Ramirez’s description bolsters its credibility in the face of “he-said-she-said” lines of questioning.

It may show a pattern

Tens of witnesses—including 65 women—have come forward to defend Kavanaugh against Blasey Ford’s allegations, saying they were out of character for the man they knew. But with Ramirez’s allegations, if true, begin to show a different side of Kavanaugh’s character. That would align with one Yale classmate’s recollection, told to The New Yorker, that Kavanaugh was “relatively shy” when sober, but could be “aggressive and even belligerent” when drunk.

Further bolstering the narrative that Blasey Ford’s and Ramirez’s allegations expose a different side of Kavanaugh is attorney Michael Avenatti’s Sunday announcement that he is representing a group of people that includes another victim of Kavanaugh’s. Avenatti, who represents porn star Stormy Daniels in her lawsuit against President Donald Trump, says this group has credible information that Kavanaugh and Judge routinely plied teenage girls with alcohol and drugs “in order to allow a ‘train’ of men to subsequently gang rape them.”

About the Author
By Hallie Detrick
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Leadership

dario
AIEconomics
Anthropic’s head of economics just explained why Anthropic’s CEO was wrong about a white-collar bloodbath
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 24, 2026
1 hour ago
lebron
Arts & EntertainmentSports
LeBron James, the only billionaire currently active in the NBA, signs a minimum contract with the Philadelphia 76ers
By Catherina GioinoJuly 24, 2026
3 hours ago
Wealthy man in car
SuccessMillionaires
120 millionaires have signed a letter begging the British government to tax them more: ‘We can afford it’
By Emma BurleighJuly 24, 2026
4 hours ago
This CEO once bought a bankrupt furniture company for $80,000. At 95, he’s now given away millions
Successphilanthropy
This CEO once bought a bankrupt furniture company for $80,000. At 95, he’s now given away millions
By Sydney LakeJuly 24, 2026
4 hours ago
WPP’s sweeping restructure could save £500 million—the bigger challenge might be winning over workers 
C-SuiteWPP
WPP’s sweeping restructure could save £500 million—the bigger challenge might be winning over workers 
By Sam BirchallJuly 24, 2026
5 hours ago
Inside Larry Culp’s playbook for fixing GE
NewslettersCFO Daily
Inside Larry Culp’s playbook for fixing GE
By Sheryl EstradaJuly 24, 2026
8 hours ago

Most Popular

Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for
Big Tech
Jensen Huang made his $172 billion fortune on AI chips. His family's $75 million gift to Vanderbilt argues art decides what technology is for
By Sydney LakeJuly 23, 2026
2 days ago
'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down
Economy
'The demographic dividend of the last 40 years is ending': J.P. Morgan says the world is running out of the two things that kept interest rates down
By Eleanor PringleJuly 24, 2026
12 hours ago
The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow
Economy
The $39 trillion U.S. national debt isn’t as high as Japan’s and Singapore’s relative to economy size—and yet it's still worse somehow
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 23, 2026
1 day ago
The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind
Real Estate
The millennial generation has split, new Fed research shows: Those over 35 are edging toward boomer-style wealth, while everyone else falls behind
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 22, 2026
2 days ago
Spain lifted the World Cup, but the IRS still gets a cut of its $50 million pay day as players, coaches and refs all face complex U.S. “jock taxes”
Personal Finance
Spain lifted the World Cup, but the IRS still gets a cut of its $50 million pay day as players, coaches and refs all face complex U.S. “jock taxes”
By Joshua HongJuly 23, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of July 23, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 23, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 23, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.