Kavanaugh has a quoted denial in the New Yorker story, which means he knew they were working on a story before it actually published. How soon prior to the Sept. 23 print date did he or his people get wind of the fact that New Yorker was running a hit piece on him?
He knew about it because Ramirez was calling mutual friends to try to find corroboration for the story she was about to report. Those mutual friends told Judge Kavanaugh. Not too difficult to figure out.