Congress

Maricopa County Prosecutor Rachel Mitchell To Interrogate Kavanaugh Accuser

Published

11 months ago

Sep 25, 2018

Rachel Mitchell is on deck to question Brett Kavanaugh’s accuser Christine Blasey Ford at Thursday’s hearing, and already the mainstream media is noticing the gender dynamics.

Democrats and the media were poised to attack Senate Republicans Thursday because all eleven Republican members of Chuck Grassley’s Judiciary Committee are men. But now the establishment press is thrown for a loop: will they go ahead and launch attacks on the well-qualified female sex crimes prosecutor?

Mitchell is certainly well qualified to interview Blasey Ford, who provides no concrete evidence for her claim that Brett Kavanaugh physically attacked her at a high school party in an episode that did not lead to rape. Kavanaugh’s high school friend Mark Judge, the conservative writer, strongly denies Blasey Ford’s recollection of events.

USA Today reports: In Arizona, others in law enforcement circles were unaware of Mitchell’s possible involvement but spoke highly of her. “She’s been a longtime sex crimes prosecutor. She’s clearly competent,” said Rick Romley, a former Maricopa County attorney. Paul Ahler, who worked at the County Attorney’s Office years ago, described Mitchell as a “really good, solid prosecutor.”

“She’s one of these career prosecutors who specializes in sex crimes,” said Ahler, who now works at the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. “It’s hard to find those people because a lot of people get burned out on those issues, but it’s kind of been her life mission.”

In 2014, then-Gov. Jan Brewer recommended Mitchell for consideration as a Maricopa County Superior Court judge.

USA Today passage ends

The Washington Post, true to form, acknowledged that male Republican senators are now “spared” the task of questioning Blasey Ford themselves, which might spawn insensitive moments that could jeopardize their appearance of impartiality and good intentions.

WaPo writes:

Republicans have opted to bring in a female representative to ask questions for the 11 GOP men on the committee…

In enlisting a woman to join their staff, Republican senators are taking an unusual step. Turning to a woman to ask Ford what are expected to be personal and potentially painful questions about her youth on live television spares the all-male panel of Republican senators some uncomfortable exchanges that could sway the public’s opinion about the session.

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