Christine Blasey Ford Lawyer Says She May Be Willing to Testify About Assault Allegations After All

Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who’s accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were teenagers, said she “would be prepared to testify next week” after all, according to an email from her lawyers to lawmakers that was obtained Thursday by the New York Times.

In the email, Ford’s lawyer Debra Katz said she would testify as long as the Senate Judiciary Committee members could agree on “terms that are fair and which ensure her safety.” Katz also said, however, that it “is not possible” for Ford to testify on the committee’s proposed date of Monday, saying, “the Committee’s insistence that it occur then is arbitrary in any event.”

This comes after it looked increasingly likely that Ford would not be ready to testify about the allegations on such an abridged timetable. Ford’s lawyer also reiterated it was her client’s “strong preference” that “a full investigation” take place before she testify but, as the Times pointed out, the message stopped short of demanding an FBI probe and seemed to open the door for Ford to testify without an investigation.

As she’s been thrust into the national spotlight—and been heavily criticized by Republicans with a vested interest in this whole matter being quickly resolved—Ford’s lawyer has said she and her family have been forced out of their home after death threats.

“She wishes to testify, provided that we can agree on terms that are fair and which ensure her safety,” the email read.