Her story may be the most credible, as well

Julie Swetnick is the third woman who leveled accusations of sexual misconduct/assault against Brett Kavanaugh in September. In 1981–1982, when 19–20 years old, she attended a number of house parties in Maryland where Brett Kavanaugh and Mark Judge were also present.

Photos of Julie Swetnick, Brett Kavanaugh, and Mark Judge from the early 1980s.

At one of these parties, after drinking some alcohol, she quickly started to feel sick. She suspects her drink was spiked with Quaaludes (the drug Bill Cosby used on his victims, and very popular in the 80s) or some other sedative. She was then shoved into a room where a group of boys tore away her clothing and took turns raping her.

Here is Swetnick’s description of the sexual assault -

“What happened to me is probably the most horrendous, awful thing that could happen to any human being. My… body was violated, my soul was broken… uh, I was not able to have somebody stop when i said no, stop. You, I I felt like somebody took me and basically said you’re worthless. There’s.. You are nothing to us. You are disposable”.

On Sep. 26, Swetnick’s lawyer and prospective 2020 presidential nominee Michael Avenatti went public with Swetnick’s accusation. The story dominated the news cycle, and it seemed this could be the killing blow for Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination.

However things went South after Swetnick’s interview with Kate Snow on Oct. 1. Swetnick clarified that she did not see Kavanaugh, Judge, or anyone else spiking drinks. Nor did she witness them gang raping any girls, and does not know if they raped her. She did say she was certain Kavanaugh and Judge were near her when she started feeling sick before the assault on her, and that she could hear them laughing.

Swetnick’s ABC interview (Source : twitter @tvkatesnow)

Critics from all sides have slammed Swetnick and Avenatti, claiming she “walked back her story”, and completely lacks credibility. She was no longer discussed on any network other than FOX News, which viciously attacked her. Employees at MSNBC and CNN have blasted Avenatti, claiming Swetnick’s allegation derailed the campaign to stop Kavanaugh’s nomination (Although I have doubts that it would have made a difference either way).

The blame for this swift fallout lies largely on Avenatti. The sworn statement he prepared for Swetnick was succinct to a fault. It explicitly accused Kavanaugh and Judge of participating in the drink spiking and gang rapes. A lack of nuance and detail ultimately hurt his client’s credibility.

But contrary to what has been claimed, Swetnick did not walk back the accusation at all in the NBC interview, even though what she said did not align perfectly with the written statement. She clarifies that her accusation was one of inference, not direct observations of crimes. Her observations allowed her to reach the logical conclusion that Kavanaugh and Judge were likely guilty.

Here is her argument in a nutshell -

She saw Kavanaugh and Judge hanging around the drink containers at these parties. She saw K + J handing drink cups to girls.

3. At previous parties she witnessed K + J huddling with other boys by doors to rooms.

4. She was drugged was drugged shoved into a room, where she was gang raped by a group of of males sequentially entering the room through the door.

Swetnick’s conclusion : Kavanaugh and Judge were aware of, and participated in, the drugging and gang raping of girls, as had happened to her.