Christine Ford "Accepts" agrees to testify about Kavanaugh assault, Thursday session

Washington (CNN) - Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual abuse, has accepted a request to speak to the committee next week about the alleged incident, her lawyers told the Senate Judiciary Committee staff on Saturday

In a letter to the committee, Ford's lawyers said they "accept" the request to provide “her first-hand knowledge of Brett Kavanaugh’s sexual misconduct next week" after Republicans in the committee set a deadline of 2:30 pm to confirm whether or not she will testify. Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, had said a vote would go ahead if Ford did not respond by the deadline.

"We are disappointed with the leaks and the bullying that have tainted the process. We are hopeful that we can reach agreement on details," the lawyers, Debra Katz and Lisa Banks, wrote in Saturday's email, ending with a request to set a time Saturday afternoon "to continue our negotiations."

The e-mail sent by lawyers Debra Katz to the committee.

"Dr. Ford accepts the Committee's request to provide her first-hand knowledge of Brett Kavanaugh's sexual misconduct next week," Debra Katz and Lisa Banks, attorneys representing Ford, wrote in a message to the committee

attorney Michael Bromwich -- who formerly held positions as a former federal prosecutor, inspector general for the Department of Justice, and director for President Obama's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management -- tweeted that had joined Ford's legal team

I’m honored to be joining Debra Katz and Lisa Banks in representing Dr. Ford

I’m honored to be joining Debra Katz and Lisa Banks in representing Dr. Ford https://t.co/WdhWj0qmSw

— Michael R. Bromwich (@mrbromwich) ٢٢ سبتمبر ٢٠١٨

The lawyers demanded in their letter "to prepare time later in the afternoon to continue our negotiations."

Gretley Gertley said he had "given another extension" to Christine Blasey , saying "it's got to be decided so we can move on, I want to hear it.

Judge Kavanaugh I just granted another extension to Dr Ford to decide if she wants to proceed w the statement she made last week to testify to the senate She shld decide so we can move on I want to hear her. I hope u understand. It’s not my normal approach to b indecisive

— ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) ٢٢ سبتمبر ٢٠١٨

Ford claims that Kavanaugh assaulted her during a high school party in the 1980s. Kavanaugh has repeatedly denied the allegation. Democrats have called for a postponement of the vote on confirmation of the country's highest court pending a full FBI investigation, something the Republicans have dismissed as unnecessary.