New Kavanaugh misconduct allegations missing key context

14 SEP 2019 · The New York Times, NBC News, Major outlets (Swetnick declaration, 2018)

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■ The claim

A September 2019 New York Times Sunday Review essay adapted from a book by two Times reporters presented a new allegation of Kavanaugh's college misconduct; in 2018, Julie Swetnick's sworn declaration of drugging and gang rapes at parties was widely broadcast.

■ What actually happened

The Times essay left out the book's statement that the alleged victim declined to be interviewed and, according to friends, did not recall the incident; the Times added an editor's note a day later. Swetnick's account shifted in an October 2018 NBC interview, and NBC later reported that a supporting witness denied having seen what was attributed to her. None of these allegations was corroborated. This entry does not concern, and makes no finding about, Christine Blasey Ford's allegation.

■ The proof

The New York Times editor's note of Sept. 15, 2019, and NBC News's October 2018 reporting on contradictions in the Swetnick claims.

■ Original reporting

The New York Times: Sunday Review essay (Sept. 14, 2019, with editor's note)https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/14/sunday-review/brett-kavanaugh-deborah-ramirez-yale.html

■ Corrections, findings & records

The New York Times Reader Center: explanation of the essay (Sept. 16, 2019)https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/16/reader-center/brett-kavanaugh-accusation-yale.html
Mediaite: Times walks back story, deletes tweethttps://www.mediaite.com/media/news/new-york-times-walks-back-brett-kavanaugh-allegations-deletes-offensive-tweet/
GBH/NPR: Times criticized for editor's note on Kavanaugh excerpthttps://www.wgbh.org/news/national/2019-09-20/the-new-york-times-gets-criticized-for-editors-note-on-kavanaugh-book-excerpt
NBC News: New questions raised about Avenatti claims regarding Kavanaughhttps://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/new-questions-raised-about-avenatti-claims-regarding-kavanaugh-n924596

■ Wayback Machine copies

Stories sometimes get edited after publication. These links open the Internet Archive's earliest snapshot of each original.

Archive copy: The New York Times: Sunday Review essay (Sept. 14, 2019, with editor's note)https://web.archive.org/web/2/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/14/sunday-review/brett-kavanaugh-deborah-ramirez-yale.html

■ Grade

UNPROVEN: Reported as established fact but never corroborated. Not proven false, either. How we grade →