(Washington, DC) -- Senator Sheldon Whitehouse's Republican opponent in the general election is issuing public comments regarding sexual assault claims against U.S. Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Christine Blasey Ford alleges that Kavanaugh assaulted her when they were both teenagers, prompting Whitehouse, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, to call for a halt to the confirmation hearings. Bob Flanders, a former Rhode Island Supreme Court justice, released an initial statement over the weekend saying uncorroborated allegations of an incident that supposedly occurred 35 years ago are not a sufficient basis to delay or derail Kavanaugh's nomination. Flanders released a follow-up statement on Monday criticizing Whitehouse for being silent when high-ranking Democrats faced sexual abuse allegations, but also saying the judiciary committee should hear from Kavanaugh's accuser.