OnPolitics Today: Another Kavanaugh accuser emerges

FROM WASHINGTON AND BEYOND

Monday, September 24

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, backed up here by his wife Ashley, sat for three straight days before the Senate Judiciary Committee in early September.

First, Christine Blasey Ford. Now, Deborah Ramirez

Also in today's edition: Rod Rosenstein's future at the Justice Department is up in the air.

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More accusations

First, Christine Blasey Ford. Now, Deborah Ramirez.

On the same day that Ford agreed to testify before senators about her allegation that Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were both teenagers, Ramirez publicly accused Kavanaugh of another incident.

In a story published Sunday by The New Yorker, Ramirez alleged that, while playing a drinking game during her freshman year at Yale University, a male student exposed himself and shoved his penis in her face. She alleged she pushed the man away, touching him in the process.

The man, she alleges, was Kavanaugh.

As he did with the first accusation from Ford, Kavanaugh has denied Ramirez's allegation. He said he looks forward to testifying about the accusations, and that he hopes to have the chance to tell the truth and defend his reputation.

The top Democrat on the committee, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, has asked for a postponement on Kavanaugh's nomination proceedings.

For his part, President Donald Trump has said called the sexual assault allegations "totally political."

Rosenstein's fate

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein will meet with President Donald Trump on Thursday, nearly a week after a report from the New York Times that he had discussed invoking the 25th Amendment last year to remove the president from office.

What will be the outcome of that meeting? It's unclear. In an interview recorded over the weekend, Trump said he hasn't decided whether he will fire the No. 2 man at the Justice Department or not.

Rosenstein headed to the White House on Monday morning, expecting to be fired, a person familiar with the matter told USA TODAY. There, Rosenstein met with White House Chief of Staff John Kelly for the third time in recent days. He returned to the DOJ later that day, status unchanged for now.

The pair first met Friday, after the Times report about Rosenstein first surfaced, and again on Saturday, to discuss Rosenstein's tenure.

Per the Times report, Rosenstein had raised the prospect of wearing a wire to gather evidence of the president's erratic behavior. He has strongly denied the account.

Elsewhere in politics

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•	Trump implores world leaders at United Nations to confront 'scourge' of drug addiction
•	Controversial Confederate statues remain in U.S. Capitol despite being removed elsewhere
•	Noel Francisco: What to know about the man who might replace Rod Rosenstein in Russia probe
•	#BelieveSurvivors protests erupt nationwide against Brett Kavanaugh; dozens arrested in D.C.