Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee Monday calling the allegations of sexual misconduct and assault against him "smears, pure and simple," and reaffirming that he "will not be intimidated into withdrawing" from the confirmation process.

The big picture: With a showdown hearing already set for Thursday with his first accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Kavanaugh now faces additional allegations of sexual misconduct via a report from Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer in the New Yorker that was published yesterday.