A lawyer for Christine Blasey Ford — the woman accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault — raised concerns on Monday about the setup for a public hearing where Ford will testify later this week. Michael Bromwich, a lawyer for Ford, said in a letter to Sen. Chuck Grassley Charles (Chuck) Ernest GrassleyThe Hill's 12:30 Report: Ginsburg lies in repose Top GOP senators say Hunter Biden's work 'cast a shadow' over Obama Ukraine policy Read: Senate GOP's controversial Biden report MORE Michael Bromwich, a lawyer for Ford, said in a letter to Sen.(R-Iowa), the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, that the plan for Thursday's public hearing "does not appear designed to provide Dr. Blasey Ford with fair and respectful treatment." The letter casts some doubt on the deal Ford's team made with Senate Judiciary leaders to appear at a hearing on Thursday. Bromwich in the letter pointed to the hiring of "an unnamed 'experienced sex crimes prosecutor,' " warning it could help turn the Judiciary Committee hearing into a "circus." Bromwich in the letter pointed to the hiring of "an unnamed 'experienced sex crimes prosecutor,' " warning it could help turn the Judiciary Committee hearing into a "circus." ADVERTISEMENT "[It] is contrary to the Majority's repeated emphasis on the need for the Senate and this Committee's members to fulfill their constitutional obligations. It is also inconsistent with your stated wish to avoid a 'circus,' as well as Dr. Blasey Ford’s repeated requests through counsel that senators conduct the questioning," Bromwich wrote. "This is not a criminal trial for which the involvement of an experienced sex crimes prosecutor would be appropriate. Neither Dr. Blasey Ford nor Judge Kavanaugh is on trial. The goal should be to develop the relevant facts, not try a case," he continued. He added that there was "no precedent" for the Judiciary Committee to use an outside counsel "for the sole purpose of shielding the members" from asking a witness questions when they are testifying before the committee.



Bromwich added that Grassley's staff hasn't responded "to a number of outstanding questions about the hearing," including what the role will be for the "experienced sex crimes prosecutor" during the hearing.



"Please identify this person and ask your staff to send us her resume immediately. We respectfully request to meet with her tomorrow," he added. He added that there was "no precedent" for the Judiciary Committee to use an outside counsel "for the sole purpose of shielding the members" from asking a witness questions when they are testifying before the committee.Bromwich added that Grassley's staff hasn't responded "to a number of outstanding questions about the hearing," including what the role will be for the "experienced sex crimes prosecutor" during the hearing."Please identify this person and ask your staff to send us her resume immediately. We respectfully request to meet with her tomorrow," he added.

Republican senators have been mulling bringing in an outside counsel, potentially a woman, to question Ford and Kavanaugh during Thursday's hearing.

"I think we're leaning toward having a staff lawyer, an outside lawyer do it on our side for continuity ... rather than having 11 people for five minutes each," he told reporters.

But Ford's legal team has raised concerns during negotiations with Grassley's staff that using an outside lawyer would make the hearing too much like a trial. Democrats have said they are going to ask their own questions.

"The Majority Leader dismissed Dr. Ford’s experience as a 'smear campaign,' claiming mistakenly that the witnesses’ statements to the Committee constitute 'a complete lack of evidence,' implying that there has been a thorough investigation," he said in the letter to Grassley.