A key GOP senator says Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and his accuser should testify under oath before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Sen. Susan Collins Susan Margaret CollinsClub for Growth to spend million in ads for Trump Supreme Court nominee Maryland's GOP governor says Republicans shouldn't rush SCOTUS vote before election The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - GOP closes ranks to fill SCOTUS vacancy by November MORE (Maine), potentially a pivotal vote on Kavanaugh, said she doesn’t know enough about the allegations from Christine Blasey Ford to make a determination on whether she believes her charges, that Kavanaugh held her to a bed and tried to pull her clothes off her at a party in the 1980s when the two were teenagers. Kavanaugh has flatly denited the allegation.

“That's why having the opportunity to observe her being questioned, read a transcript or a deposition and make that kind of assessment is so important,” Collins told reporters. “Obviously if Judge Kavanaugh has lied about what happened, that would be disqualifying.”

Collins said Kavanaugh denied the charges when she asked about the letter during an hour-long phone conversation on Friday.

“He said that he had never acted that way, not only with this unnamed accuser, but with any woman. He was absolutely emphatic about that,” Collins said.

Ford revealed her identity and went public with her charges on Sunday.

— Molly K. Hooper