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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDirector of Harvard's Nieman Journalism Lab says Squi - Chris Garrett - needs a lot more attention
Twitter thread from Joshua Benton starting here:
Link to tweet
Restraint in not using his name was admirable when his main role in the case seemed to be Guy Who Ed Whelan Falsely Called a Likely Attempted Rapist.
But that's not his main role anymore! He's the *friend of Kavanaugh's* who *dated Ford* that summer AND was at the July 1 party!
When Kavanaugh is claiming to have no idea who Ford is, he was hanging out all the time with HER BOYFRIEND throughout the summer of 1982! (Kavanaugh testified that Chris Garrett is the "Squi" in the famous July 1 calendar entry.)
(I should note maybe "boyfriend" is too strong. Ford testified Thursday that she "went out with [Garrett] for a few months" but wasn't "dating" him. I leave the analysis of 1980s teen relationship labeling to others.)
As @joshtpm has argued, he's the nexus of the whole shebang.
But again, I don't think reporters have gotten even a "no comment" from him.
As far as I can tell, @nytimes hasn't used his name in any story. (The recent "kavanaugh garrett" stories here refer to Garrett Ventry, the Senate committee aide who resigned.) https://www.nytimes.com/search?query=kavanaugh+garrett
Kavanaugh on Thurs even *testified* that in the summer of 1982, he spent a weekend at Garrett's house! Again, Garrett & Ford were in some stage of dating, going out for *multiple months* and Kavanaugh didn't know the girl of his sleepover bud was dating?https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/26/us/politics/read-brett-kavanaughs-complete-opening-statement.html
And yet we don't seem (again correct me if I'm wrong!) to have so much as a "no comment" from him. His local paper in Atlanta, the @ajc, has never even mentioned the guy who is the local angle for the biggest story in the country right now!
Kavanaugh testified Ford "and I did not travel in the same social circles. Its possible we met at some point at some events, although I do not recall that." Again, Garrett, who Ford was seeing in some form for months, was one of his best friends, at least based on his calendars,
(If you think "have no idea who Ford was" is too strong, fine if you want to sub in "says he never remembers meeting her, went to a school I didn't hang out with, and was not in the same social circles as me," feel free.)
There's been lots of focus on the July 1 entry on Kavanaugh's calendar, for good reason. But Garrett is ALL OVER that summer's calendars. I didn't count them all up, but I think his name may appear more than any other friend's that summer. (If not, it's close.)
On May 2, Kavanaugh goes to a Bullets game with Garrett. On June 12, Kavanaugh spends the night at Garrett's beach house in Rehoboth. On June 13, Kavanaugh sees Rocky III with Garrett.
On June 25, Kavanaugh goes to a party at a boathouse with Garrett. On June 26, Kavanaugh goes to see Poltergeist with Garrett. On July 1, of course, Kavanaugh had "skis" with Garrett. On July 2 and 3, Kavanaugh went to the beach with Garrett.
On July 30, Kavanaugh went to the beach with Garrett. On August 3, Kavanaugh goes to an Orioles doubleheader with Garrett. On August 15, Kavanaugh goes to the beach again with Garrett.
(Correction to that, August 14, not 15. Twitter needs an edit button.)
On August 19, Kavanaugh...does something with Garrett, I can't read his handwriting. On August 20-22, Kavanaugh sleeps over at Garrett's house. He referred to that weekend in his testimony.
I show all that to make it clear Garrett was not an acquaintance he was a very close friend. And again, Ford specifically cited Garrett, the man Ed Whelan falsely fingered, as the guy she was dating and who was her connection to Kavanaugh.
As far as I can tell, the only word we have from Garrett about all this is the statement his lawyer put out after Ed Whelan falsely accused him. "He has no knowledge or information relating to her claims" and "will not be making any further statements regarding this matter."
(And again, maybe "dating" isn't the right word, I wasn't there, but "going out with regularly over a period of months" seems to be.)
Anyway, I have no idea what Garrett knows or doesn't know! But he should be getting a lot of journalistic attention right now. /fin
Joshua Benton's journalism background:
http://www.niemanlab.org/author/jbenton/
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)So they can hit the ground running Monday AM.
Poiuyt
(18,122 posts)bettyellen
(47,209 posts)Are currently diagramming their relationships and triangulating their former addresses. Boo Yaaaa!
We thought no one noticed Jul 1st!
Leghorn21
(13,524 posts)I promise you I saw Garretts statement issued via his attorney right after the Whelan fiasco, BUT, I can find nothing now -
The statement was very simple, said something like, no, sorry, leave me out of this, thanks, goodbye
Anyway, he appears to be a guy investigators might want to talk to, he was in the mix, no question
Thanks again for putting this together, dem!!
11cents
(1,777 posts)...say they'd received a statement from Garrett rejecting the Whelan accusation? Something like that.
Leghorn21
(13,524 posts)This is all I have to say on this matter, end of story
Wish Id bookmarked where I read that, cant find squat on the google-
Well, as usual, were standing by for more info -
highplainsdem
(48,959 posts)Leghorn21
(13,524 posts)marlakay
(11,447 posts)odds are they are also. So I don't expect any help from them.
Leghorn21
(13,524 posts)From above link:
Good lord! This is too perfect. The guy they
slimed as the real culprit is one of the alums
who signed a letter to the senate attesting to
Kavanaughs character!
Link to tweet
Link to Atlanta Academy Middle School - no faculty listed though:
http://atlantaacademy.com/category/middle-school/
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)Garrett and the others likely have puckered assholes right now. If Garrett was involved in gang rapes, do you think he would fess up? Someone pointed out that Maryland can't try any of them for Mrs. Ford's assault, so maybe they hang tough and lie.
Leghorn21
(13,524 posts)I guess by now weve all learned that anything can happen, so maybe well know more about this guy about a week from now?
Which feels like a year, I know!!!!
Standing by
SoCalDem
(103,856 posts)there was a rape on a boat, wasn't there???
Not with Ford, but obviously with some other girl?? Renate? Leland?
Roland99
(53,342 posts)Blue_true
(31,261 posts)If the current Maryland law was retroactive to when a crime happened, they would have something hanging over their heads that could land them in jail.