The Senator’s re-victimization of Christine Blasey Ford apparently escaped the ethical and moral outrage of the nation.

As the hearings for Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh ended this week, the nation sat back, rattled, wondering exactly what we had just witnessed. Women around the nation were triggered by the emotional testimony from Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, reliving their harrowing sexual abuse scenarios from years past. Men around the country began thinking about their past actions and wondering if any of their behavior as young men may serve to crush their futures. And politicians on both side of the aisle screeched foul at the other.

What happened to Dr. Blasey Ford 36 years ago is reprehensible and unforgivable. Most of the nation believes that, according to his own testimony, Judge Kavanaugh likely committed these acts while under the influence of alcohol. The FBI will now conduct a one week investigation into the matters spoken of during testimony.

However, Senator Dianne Feinstein’s behavior is inexcusable as well. How is that? one may wonder. There are two giant pieces of evidence to be discussed, and that have been discussed without any satisfying conclusion.

1. Feinstein violated her promise of confidentiality.

Contrary to her statements, evidence suggests Senator Feinstein released the letter, or her knowledge of it, to the media. Her defense was that any person acquainted with Dr. Blasey Ford could have spoken with the media about the letter. That argument is highly problematic, for the simple reason that if Dr. Blasey Ford had requested confidentiality of Senator Feinstein, why would she have spoken with anyone else about the sending of the letter? As a vaunted research scientist, Dr. Blasey Ford would know that controlled documentation is the only way to protect the integrity of the information contained therein. She would have no reason to speak to anyone about the letter, both to protect that information and to protect herself from the media.

The letter included my name, but also a request that it be kept confidential. My hope was that providing the information confidentially would be sufficient to allow the Senate to consider Mr. Kavanaugh’s serious misconduct without having to make myself, my family or anyone’s family vulnerable to the personal attacks and invasions of privacy that we have faced since my name became public. — Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, September 27, 2018

The only admittance that she shared this information anywhere else was an encrypted message via The Washington Post’s confidential tip network. Further, there is reason to believe that Dr. Blasey Ford was not asking Senator Feinstein to keep the information from committee but from the public so that the allegations could be investigated.

Senator Feinstein was also asked whether any of her staffers would have leaked the information, to which she responded weakly:

Oh, I don’t believe my staff would leak it. I have not asked that question directly, but I do not believe they would. — Senator Dianne Feinstein to the Senate Judiciary Committee, September 27, 2018

Had this been a criminal trial, the jury certainly would have retained this statement in their minds and it would have raised reasonable doubt as to Senator Feinstein’s credibility, especially with the admittance that she didn’t have enough forethought to ask her staffers whether or not any of them had leaked the letter or the story. Even if they lied to her face, Senator Feinstein should have asked her staffers the question in anticipation that she would need to respond to the Judiciary Committee.

2. Feinstein violated her duty to Dr. Blasey Ford — and the American people — by withholding the letter from committee.

The seriousness of the allegations contained in Dr. Blasey Ford’s short but powerful letter should have prompted a swift response by the Judiciary Committee to investigate the claims. A full month went by before Senator Feinstein acknowledged Dr. Blasey Ford’s letter, and a further 13 days went by before Senator Feinstein chose to release the letter to the Judiciary Committee Chairman, Senator Chuck Grassley. There is no reason that Senator Feinstein should have withheld the letter from committee, unless she was choosing to do so in order to use it for political gain when the iron was hot; the iron, in this case, being the Committee’s willingness to allow the appointment of Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Senator Feinstein vociferously denied hiding the allegations toward the end of the testimony:

Mr. Chairman, let me be clear: I did not hide Dr. Ford’s allegations. I did not leak her story. She asked me to hold it confidential and I kept it confidential as she asked. — Senator Dianne Feinstein to the Senate Judiciary Committee, September 27, 2018

However, when one considers the totality of the testimony from Dr. Blasey Ford, she absolutely intended the Committee to be briefed and to investigate the allegation:

My hope was that providing the information confidentially would be sufficient to allow the Senate to consider Mr. Kavanaugh’s serious misconduct … — Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, September 27, 2018

The Fallout

Senator Feinstein’s actions activated survivor’s PTSD, unleashed a tidal wave of people ready to send Judge Kavanaugh to the gallows, and set the nation’s mental health hotlines on fire. She chose to weaponize a woman’s trauma to fuel a partisan attack on a Supreme Court nominee and to gain misguided approval from constituents who saw her as leading the charge against sexual assault and rape.

Regardless, now the rest of us are left to watch the circus from outside the tent, where we can hear the shouts of the trainers and the cries of the animals inside.

Senator Feinstein has always acted in the best interests of Senator Feinstein. She fought as a centrist in 1990 while trying to win the gubernatorial race (and failed), and ultimately ended up in the U.S. Senate in 1992, where she has been sliding farther to the left as her district becomes more and more liberal — a tactic that can only be seen as the desperate attempts of a politician to remain in their seat of power.

Feinstein effectively used the Judiciary Committee to assail Dr. Blasey Ford with a battery of questions that made her re-live her trauma; made her weep on broadcast television and live streams in front of her family, friends, co-workers, and millions of complete strangers; made her a victim all over again as they sought to deny a seat to Judge Kavanaugh. Yes, Kavanaugh proved to be a simpering, angry little man who chose to call out the Democratic Party in his testimony, damaging Americans’ ability to believe he can be impartial on the bench. But was the damage dealt to Dr. Blasey Ford and millions of women worth it?

Regardless, now the rest of us are left to watch the circus from outside the tent, where we can hear the shouts of the trainers and the cries of the animals inside. Dr. Blasey Ford will be forgotten by the political elite, now that she’s been utilized to get what they want. Those millions of women will have to endure more flashbacks. And it’s all because of Feinstein’s gambit.

Congratulations, madam, you’ve won nothing and hurt millions.

This artice also available at Feinstein’s Gambit. The Senator’s re-victimization of… | by Wayne Campbell | Medium © 2018 Wayne Campbell