Kavanaugh friend tells New York Times reporter he would cover story 'differently' now

In 2018, a New York Times journalist apologized to an author whose reporting had linked him to sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

David Enrich, a New York Times investigative reporter, wrote to Mark Judge, an author and journalist, about his role in Kavanaugh coverage. Enrich stated that he had spent a lot of time thinking about his actions and would be happy to discuss it with Judge at a later time. Currently, Enrich only mentioned that he had learned some lessons and would likely do things differently next time. Judge shared this exchange in an article for Chronicles Magazine.

The New York Times reporter who tried to ruin my life sounded contrite, according to Judge, who spoke to Planet Chronicle Digital.

Judge argues that the New York Times was given "completely false" opposition research by disgraced lawyer Michael Avenatti and others, which he and Justice Kavanaugh were accused of drugging and gangraping girls in high school. Enrich and Kelly attempted to corroborate these allegations by digging up any embarrassing information they could find about him from his adolescence. Judge claims that since the Kavanaugh hearings, several journalists involved in the smear campaign against him have been "tormented" over their role in ruining his life.

Christine Blasey Ford accused Judge of being present in the room when she claimed Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in the early 1980s, when the two were teenagers. The FBI interviewed Judge about his alleged role in the assault, which Ford said occurred at a party. Judge and Kavanaugh attended high school together at Georgetown Preparatory School, while Ford attended the all-girls Holton-Arms.

Kavanaugh was exonerated by the judge who denied Ford's allegations and claimed she never witnessed him engaging in the actions she described. Despite Ford's account, no other witnesses could corroborate her story or even recall seeing her and Kavanaugh together.

Judge was a prominent figure in the school's social circle, known for his outgoing personality and boisterous behavior.

A high school yearbook group photo featuring Judge Kavanaugh and Renate Schroeder Dolphin, a student at a nearby Catholic school, was labeled "Renate alumni" on a student's personal page.

Judge co-authored an underground high school newspaper with two classmates called "The Unknown Hoya," which contained allegedly sexist humor.

The article stated that a public library card was all it takes to have a good time with any Holton Hosebag, using slang for a promiscuous woman.

The author of "The Devil's Triangle" told Planet Chronicle Digital that Enrich and Kelly's reporting had greatly impacted his mental health and led him to consider ending his life.

Enrich and Kelly's reporting caused significant harm and distress to the judge's family, ruining decades-long friendships. Despite this, the journalist who had been determined to bring about the judge's downfall offered him sympathy.

"I can't fathom what it must have been like for you to experience that," Enrich remarked, as per Judge.

"For years, my friends at Georgetown and I have been saying, 'if only there was someone with a conscience at the New York Times or Washington Post, if only one of them would come forward and admit what they did here, and I think we've just gotten it. I think we might've found that one person with a conscience in David Enrich. I don't want people to badmouth him, I want to encourage him," Judge said.

A New York Times spokesperson stated that Mr. Judge's assertions regarding the practices of the newspaper's reporters are not accurate. The Times's coverage of Justice Kavanaugh's nomination and confirmation process was comprehensive, impartial, and trustworthy, and the organization stands by its reporting.

Enrich and Kelly declined to comment for this article.

Previously, the author spoke with Martha MacCallum of Planet Chronicle about an alleged extortion attempt he experienced after denying Ford's accusations.

A mysterious call from a California number was received by the judge, who claimed it contained a threat.

He remembered the caller being clever enough to leave a message: "You like messing with people, Mark? I like messing with people too. You better change your story," he said.

Judge stated that he was being directly extorted, and he conveyed the message to his attorney, who then gave it to the FBI. However, there was never a resolution.

Chales Creitz contributed to this report.