The 115th Congress-Washington 2017

[Dentali]

Senator Carter

“In the interest of your privacy I will allow you to answer the current question with us in private following the rest of this public hearing. Let us move on to the next question.”

"Mr. Velacruz I recommend you be as detailed and unambiguous as possible in your responses. You havent seen her in quite awhile then, not since school?"

[Tallahassee News Station]

Senator Carter

“In the interest of your privacy I will allow you to answer the current question with us in private following the rest of this public hearing. Let us move on to the next question.”

"Mr. Velacruz I recommend you be as detailed and unambiguous as possible in your responses. You havent seen her in quite awhile then, not since school?"

"Uh, yeah, we haven't talked since school."

[Dentali]

"Mr. Velacruz I recommend you be as detailed and unambiguous as possible in your responses. You havent seen her in quite awhile then, not since school?"

"Uh, yeah, we haven't talked since school."

"On the record and under oath did you ever hear Dr. Rossi use racial slurs, homophobic remarks or anything else she was accused of?"

[Tallahassee News Station]

"Uh, yeah, we haven't talked since school."

"On the record and under oath did you ever hear Dr. Rossi use racial slurs, homophobic remarks or anything else she was accused of?"

"No I never did. I never heard her say anything like that"

[Dentali]

"On the record and under oath did you ever hear Dr. Rossi use racial slurs, homophobic remarks or anything else she was accused of?"

"No I never did. I never heard her say anything like that"

"Prior to her nomination were their ever rumors or information you heard second hand she made such remarks?"

[Tallahassee News Station]

"No I never did. I never heard her say anything like that"

"Prior to her nomination were their ever rumors or information you heard second hand she made such remarks?"

"No, there weren't any at all"

[Dentali]

"Prior to her nomination were their ever rumors or information you heard second hand she made such remarks?"

"No, there weren't any at all"

"Have you been contacted by any entity asking you to say Dr Rossi had made such remarks?"

[Tallahassee News Station]

"No, there weren't any at all"

"Have you been contacted by any entity asking you to say Dr Rossi had made such remarks?"

"Yes. I was called, uh, I was called a couple times and then they showed up to my door"

[Dentali]

"Have you been contacted by any entity asking you to say Dr Rossi had made such remarks?"

"Yes. I was called, uh, I was called a couple times and then they showed up to my door"

"Please detail the calls and the visit to the best of your ability, any detail could be helpful."

[Tallahassee News Station]

"Yes. I was called, uh, I was called a couple times and then they showed up to my door"

"Please detail the calls and the visit to the best of your ability, any detail could be helpful."

"I mean uh they were....can we put this in the private part too?"

[Dentali]

"Please detail the calls and the visit to the best of your ability, any detail could be helpful."

"I mean uh they were....can we put this in the private part too?"

"I have no issue" Fowler says looking at Carter

[Chewion]

Senator Carter

Carter leaned towards the mic and said "I have no problem with that but may I ask the reasoning behind it? Do you fear for your safety?"

[Tallahassee News Station]

Senator Carter

Carter leaned towards the mic and said "I have no problem with that but may I ask the reasoning behind it? Do you fear for your safety?"

Tony looked at the cameras. "I'll uh, I should talk about that when we're in private"

[Chewion]

Senator Carter

Carter leaned towards the mic and said "I have no problem with that but may I ask the reasoning behind it? Do you fear for your safety?"

Tony looked at the cameras. "I'll uh, I should talk about that when we're in private"

Senator Carter

“Very well. May we please have the room. Anyone not on this committee, or not helping the witness please exit the room until further notice.”

Waiting until all the cameras and reporters left, Carter finally said “Now we have our privacy. Please answer the two questions.”

[Tallahassee News Station]

Tony looked at the cameras. "I'll uh, I should talk about that when we're in private"

Senator Carter

“Very well. May we please have the room. Anyone not on this committee, or not helping the witness please exit the room until further notice.”

Waiting until all the cameras and reporters left, Carter finally said “Now we have our privacy. Please answer the two questions.”

"Uh, which one first?"

[Meelducan]

Committee Floor

Surprised that anybody actually listened to Carter, Darnell quickly asked his question again.

"Mr. Velacruz, have you ever had a romantic relationship with Dr. Rossi?"

[Tallahassee News Station]

Committee Floor

Surprised that anybody actually listened to Carter, Darnell quickly asked his question again.

"Mr. Velacruz, have you ever had a romantic relationship with Dr. Rossi?"

"Well so....no. Not really."

[Meelducan]

Committee Floor

"Would you care to elaborate?" Darnell followed up.

[Tallahassee News Station]

Committee Floor

"Would you care to elaborate?" Darnell followed up.

"Well uh, we didn't really have a relationship....I was just hoping that we maybe could." He blushes.

[Vaquas]

“I think that’s enough on that line of questioning gentlemen.” Locklear said, authoritatively. She motioned to an aide.

“Tell the press they can return.”

[Chewion]

Senator Carter

Carter glares down Locklear before saying to the aid “Not yet. He still must answer the question regarding the call and visit and if the reason he wanted to discuss it in private was out of fear.”

[Meelducan]

Committee Floor

Darnell turned to Locklear,

“Sorry Senator, I didn’t realise that you were appointed Chairwoman!”

[Vaquas]

Locklear just shook her head.

“Mr. Velacruz, let us just move this along please. The longer we stay in this setting, the more the media is going to wildly speculate.” She made clear. “Please proceed with your answers directly so that we have them clear on the record and so we may reintroduce transparency.”

[Dentali]

Committee Floor

"Would you care to elaborate?" Darnell followed up.

"Well uh, we didn't really have a relationship....I was just hoping that we maybe could." He blushes.

"In as much detail as you can please tell us about being approached regarding the Rossi accusations"

[Tallahassee News Station]

"Well uh, we didn't really have a relationship....I was just hoping that we maybe could." He blushes.

"In as much detail as you can please tell us about being approached regarding the Rossi accusations"

"So it was a phone call at first. And then there was a second phone call later but it started with one. And there was this man and he was talking about corroborating these allegations against uh, Anna. But they weren't real, they were those slurs that she never said. And he uh, he made some offers, uh, talked about a payday but I turned him down. Then he called again and it was a different number this time and he was angrier. He started uh, started making threats and it got really bad and I just hung up on him. But then he showed up at my house and I got really scared. He was threatening me and I thought I was going to just die and he wanted me to back up these stories and I thought he was going to kill me. But my dog, I think he got afraid of my dog because he didn't like him and started barking and making a fuss and its a big dog, and I guess that helped because he left, but I couldn't even sleep after that, I thought he was gonna kill me."