Washington Post Reporter Wrongly Claims GOP's Kavanaugh Prosecutor Worked for Arpaio
Washington Post reporter Jennifer Rubin falsely claimed that the prosecutor tasked by the GOP senators with questioning Christine Blasey Ford — who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault — is from Maricopa County “Sheriff Joe (Arpaio’s) operation” in Arizona.
Rubin — who has tweeted extensively about the Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearing looking into Ford’s allegation against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh — wrote on Tuesday evening, “Only this crowd of clueless old white guys wold [sic] pick someone from Sheriff Joe’s operation. I was saying no self-respecting lawyer would take the job of giving cover to GOP cowards. I was right.”
Only this crowd of clueless old white guys wold pick someone from Sheriff Joe's operation. I was saying no self-respecting lawyer would take the job of giving cover to GOP cowards. I was right.
— Jennifer Truth Over Phony Balance Rubin 🇺🇦🇮🇱 (@JRubinBlogger) September 26, 2018
Republican senators on the committee tapped Maricopa County deputy attorney Rachel Mitchell to question Ford.
Mitchell specializes in sex crime prosecutions and has been praised by both Democrats and Republicans alike for her professionalism.
“In 2003, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano and state Attorney General Terry Goddard, both Democrats, participated in an event recognizing Mitchell as the Outstanding Arizona Sexual Assault Prosecutor of the Year,” The Daily Signal reported.
Current Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery, who is a Republican and Mitchell’s boss, told Fox News host Tucker Carlson Wednesday night that she never worked for Arpaio, who was the county’s top sheriff until 2016.
Bill Montgomery, Rachel Mitchell's boss on Kavanaugh, Ford hearing: "She certainly has a victim-centered focus as a prosecutor, but that doesn't mean you can't accept there's ground truth to everything that's said." #Tucker https://t.co/eg3LkfMUXC pic.twitter.com/iPSFZLsq8v
— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 27, 2018
“She’s a deputy county attorney,” he said. “She works for the Maricopa County Attorney’s office. Sheriff’s deputies and detention officers work for sheriffs.”
Montgomery described Mitchell as “well-grounded: professifonal, fair and objective.”
“What Rachel will do is she will go in and start by listening,” he said. “She certainly has a victim-centered focus as a prosecutor, but that doesn’t mean you can accept as ground truth everything that’s said.”
Many of Arizona’s local media personalities also corrected Rubin’s false notion that Mitchell worked for Arpaio.
Brahm Resnik, an anchor and reporter with Phoenix TV station KPNX, tweeted, “GET IT RIGHT Rachel Mitchell works for the elected Maricopa County attorney. She has worked under at least three elected county attorneys during her time in that office. Arpaio was Maricopa County sheriff. Two separate elected offices.”
GET IT RIGHT Rachel Mitchell works for the elected Maricopa County attorney. She has worked under at least three elected county attorneys during her time in that office. Arpaio was Maricopa County sheriff. Two separate elected offices. https://t.co/4QSmy434zx
— Brahm Resnik (@brahmresnik) September 26, 2018
Jeremy Duda with the Arizona Mirror added, “Everyone can go ahead and stop invoking Joe Arpaio’s name. Rachel Mitchell works for the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, not the Sheriff’s Office. They’re not the same agency. Just the same county.”
Everyone can go ahead and stop invoking Joe Arpaio’s name. Rachel Mitchell works for the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, not the Sheriff’s Office. They’re not the same agency. Just the same county.
— Jeremy Duda (@jeremyduda) September 26, 2018
Vaughn Hillyard also with NBC news tweeted, “(For what it’s worth) Joe Arpaio says he does not know who Rachel Mitchell is. He could not identify where she worked/background.”
After being corrected, Rubin responded, “To remove any ambiguity in my last tweet on this, it is wrong to say she was part of his ‘operation.'”
Mitchell is receiving good marks for her performance at the Kavanaugh hearing from various prominent conservative women.
Prosecutor Rachel Mitchell: "Would it be fair to say that Brett Kavanaugh's name is not listed in [therapist's] notes?
Dr. Christine Blasey Ford: "His name is not listed in those notes." https://t.co/j0e7TIiavz pic.twitter.com/8cHaBjc4bD— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) September 27, 2018
Fox News personality and Town Hall editor Katie Pavlich refuted Vox editor Ezra Klein’s charge that Mitchell is trying to discredit Ford’s account.
“Rachel Mitchell is asking basic questions, she isn’t trying to ‘discredit’ Ford, she’s asking her to answer for the things she’s already said,” Pavlich tweeted.
Rachel Mitchell is asking basic questions, she isn't trying to "discredit" Ford, she's asking her to answer for the things she's already said https://t.co/WyXuSZFTLt
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) September 27, 2018
Hadley Heath Manning, director of policy with the Independent Women’s Forum, told The Western Journal, “Rachel Mitchell is doing an excellent job asking questions to seek out the truth. Rather than serve a political agenda, her role is to establish the facts and be fair to both sides.”
Angelo Morabito with StandUnited.org tweeted, “Rachel Mitchell is kind, fair, and asking questions about facts – not feelings. There’s one person at the #KavanaughHearings I trust entirely, and it’s her.”
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