Sexual assault allegations against U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh have brought very different responses from Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and his Republican challenger in the upcoming election, former judge Robert Flanders.

Whitehouse, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee poised to confirm Kavanaugh, said Sunday that the committee should "pause" to hear the allegations brought forward by a professor who says she was attacked in high school by President Donald Trump's pick.

“I admire the courage [Christine B.] Ford has shown in coming forward with her story," Whitehouse said in a statement. "This requires a pause, at a minimum, in the unseemly, special-interest-funded rush to put Brett Kavanaugh on the Court. Kavanaugh’s blanket denial cannot be reconciled with her specific recollections, and the FBI needs time to take proper witness statements. Lying to an FBI agent in a formal interview is a crime, and an impeachable offense.”

Flanders initially dismissed the allegations against Kavanaugh as “uncorroborated allegations uncharged and uncomplained of misconduct" that are "not a sufficient basis to delay, much less derail his confirmation to the Supreme Court.”

But on Monday, the former state Supreme Court justice issued a new statement, bringing up former Democratic Sen. Al Franken, but changing his position to say the Judiciary Committee should hear Ford's story.

"The last-minute nature of these decade-old allegations raise real questions about what Sheldon Whitehouse knew and when he knew it, now that we know Democrats and reporters have had this information for some time. I agree with Senator Graham that the committee should hear directly from the accuser so the public can know all the facts."

Flanders accused Whitehouse of having "ducked for cover" when allegations surfaced against Franken, although Whitehouse did eventually join Democrats in calling for Franken to resign.

Sen. Jack Reed Monday joined fellow Democrats calling for a full investigation.

“There are serious, disturbing allegations about Judge Kavanaugh and they need to be thoroughly vetted. Rushing ahead with a vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination now would be indefensible," Reed said in a news release. "The best way to do that is for the FBI to fully and independently investigate this matter by interviewing Judge Kavanaugh, Professor Ford, and others, and then present the findings to the committee."

The Rhode Island Chapter of the National Organization for Women also stepped in to attack Flanders in support of Whitehouse.

"Mr. Flanders shows callous disregard for a woman who says she was assaulted as a young teenage girl and has lived with that trauma for decades," said the statement from RI NOW's president, Hilary Levy Friedman. "Clearly Mr. Flanders will stop at nothing to carry out President Trump’s agenda, even if it means going out of his way to tear down the voices of women and declining to hold his fellow Republicans accountable for allegations of sexual misconduct."