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Senate receives four sworn declarations from Kavanaugh accuser Ford

The documents submitted by Ford's attorneys make clear that these four people made their sworn declarations "under the penalties of perjury."
In this Jan. 29, 2015 file photo, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa is seen on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. (Photo by J. Scott Applewhite/File/AP)
In this Jan. 29, 2015 file photo, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa is seen on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

One of the reasons it's difficult to dismiss Christine Blasey Ford's sexual assault allegation against Brett Kavanaugh is that the California professor isn't just asking senators to take her at her word. As the Judiciary Committee is discovering, Ford's attorneys are eager to bolster her claim with sworn declarations.

Attorneys for Christine Blasey Ford -- who is scheduled to testify Thursday before the Senate Judiciary Committee about her accusations of sexual assault against President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh -- have given to the committee four sworn declarations from individuals who say she told them of the attack years ago.The signed documents -- from Ford's husband and three friends -- were sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday night and obtained by NBC News Wednesday morning.

USA Today was the first to report on these testimonials.

It's worth emphasizing that these are not just witnesses who were willing to go on the record. The documents submitted by Ford's attorneys make clear that these four people made their sworn declarations "under the penalties of perjury."

As of the declarations themselves, each predate Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination. One Ford friend, for example, said she told him of the alleged incident two years ago. Another friend pointed to a conversation from 2013.

In theory, the Senate Judiciary Committee could hear from each of the four -- a group that includes Ford's husband, who learned the details of the alleged attack during a therapy session six years ago -- at tomorrow's hearing.

That, however, will not happen. The committee's Republican majority has decided to hear from Ford and Kavanaugh -- and no one else.