Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Sunday said he believes Christine Blasey Ford will get a fair hearing this week before the Senate Judiciary Committee, but stressed that her claims of sexual misconduct against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh would not hold up in the legal system.

Graham repeatedly noted on “Fox News Sunday” that Ford’s allegation that Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed and groped her during a high school party in the 1980s is “too old for a criminal trial,” and lacks sufficient detail to be brought as a civil suit or to acquire a warrant. 

“What do you expect me to do? What am I supposed to do? Go ahead and ruin this guy’s life? I don’t know when it happened, I don’t know where it happened and everybody being named in regard to being there said it didn’t happen,” Graham said when asked if he’s keeping an open mind about Kavanaugh’s nomination.

{mosads}”I’m just being honest,” he continued. “Unless there’s something more, no I’m not going to ruin Judge Kavanaugh’s life over this. But [Ford] should come forward, she should have her say, she will be respectfully treated.”

Graham added that he feels “sorry” for Ford, and that he believes “she’s being used.”

Ford — who originally made the allegations in July to Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) but asked them to remain private — said in an interview published last week that Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed, tried to remove her clothes and covered her mouth when she protested. 

Kavanaugh has denied the allegations.

After days of back-and-forth negotiations, Ford tentatively agreed to testify on Thursday before the Senate Judiciary Committee. It’s unclear if she or Kavanaugh will testify first.

Graham said Republicans plan to use a counsel, potentially a woman, to ask questions. Some have questioned if the move is designed to avoid the optics of 11 male Republican senators questioning Ford.