What did Grassley know about sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh, and when did he know it?

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Thursday afternoon, when news broke that Senate Democrats had referred a letter alleging sexual assault by Brett Kavanaugh to the FBI, a spokesman for Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley played dumb.

"At this time, he has not seen the letter in question, and is respecting the request for confidentiality," a spokesman for Grassley said. "There's no plan to change the committee's consideration of Judge Kavanaugh's nomination."

What Grassley DID have a plan for, however, was a response. In response to the the letter he supposedly had never seen, Grassley had a letter from 65 women who knew Kavanaugh from when he was in high school who he didn't sexually assault. Boy, that was sure some efficient overnight organizing they did there. "For the entire time we have known Brett Kavanaugh, he has behaved honorably and treated women with respect," the letter which just came out of no where reads.

So many questions.

When did Grassley find out that these allegations were out there? Who told him? When did the process to find three dozen women who knew Kavanaugh 35 years ago begin? How did they find three dozen women who say the knew him in high school when the school he went to—Georgetown Prep—is an all-boys' school? Most, the letter said, "knew Brett well through social events, sports, church, and various other activies." Quick, name three dozen people you encountered in social events in high school who could testify to your character now. "Many of us have remained close friends with him," it says. Because we all have three dozen "close" friends.

Clearly, they knew this was coming and they've known for quite a while—long enough to round up three dozen women willing to sign onto a draft of a letter responding to allegations that had not yet been made, to say that he didn't try to rape them. Might that not have raised a few questions for these women? Our own Adam Bonin makes a good point: "It strikes me that there are likely women out there who were approached to sign this letter, and chose not to. If nothing else, those women could tell us exactly how long this draft letter has been circulating."

It would be helpful to hear from those women who didn't sign on to the letter. It would also be helpful for Kavanaugh and Grassley to come clean about how long this has been in the works, and what other skeletons of Kavanaugh's Grassley has prepared for.

The only thing remotely credible in any of this is the assault allegations.