Michael Avenatti explains the timing of explosive new Kavanaugh 'gang rape' allegations to MSNBC

On Wednesday, Michael Avenatti dropped a bombshell on Twitter by identifying the third woman to accuse Brett Kavanaugh of serious sexual misconduct. Julie Swetnick, who has multiple federal government security clearances, detailed shocking behavior by Kavanaugh at parties, including verbal and physical abuse of women and coercing women into positions to be gang-raped by multiple boys. Swetnick herself claims to have been a victim of such an attack at a party at which Kavanaugh was present (although she doesn't directly accuse him of attacking her).

As the news cycle tried to absorb the shocking revelations, commentators wondered why Avenatti had waited until the day before the hearings to drop the story. "Why wait to drop a bombshell like this?" MSNBC host Craig Melvin asked Avenatti when he phoned in.

Avenatti explained that he had alerted the committee on Sunday. As for the identity of the accuser, he explained that it was up to her to come forward.

"We revealed the allegations on Sunday. We conversed with the committee ... they didn't need to know the name of my client to begin an investigation," he said.

"We had detailed correspondence that we sent to them on Monday morning ... they never got back to us. I asked for follow up on Monday evening, they didn't get back to us Monday evening they didn't get back to us yesterday and we finally disclosed the client's name today because we had to take adequate security procedures, make sure they were in place," Avenatti said.

"This is a very serious matter and ultimately it's the client's determination, not mine or anybody else's for that matter as to when her identity is revealed. So we disclosed this days ago and the fact of the matter is that Chairman Grassley, Mr. Davis, the counsel to the committee, Mitch McConnell and others, they don't want the truth to be known regarding Brett Cavanaugh."

Avenatti also warned President Donald Trump, Sen. Chuck Grassley and Brett Kavanaugh to avoid attacks on his client.

"They better be very careful before they start spewing nonsense trying to call my client a liar," he warned.

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