FBI reaches out to second Kavanaugh accuser Deborah Ramirez

FBI agents conducting a new background investigation into President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh have contacted Deborah Ramirez, the second woman to accuse Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct.

The Washington Post reports that the bureau has contacted Ramirez, Kavanaugh’s classmate at Yale University, in the hours since Trump announced Friday that he had directed the agency to perform another background investigation to examine claims of sexual misconduct that have emerged in the last few weeks.

“We can confirm the FBI has reached out to interview Ms. Ramirez and she has agreed to cooperate with their investigation,” her attorney John Clune told USA Today in a statement. “Out of respect for the integrity of the process, we will have no further comment at this time.”

{mosads}Ramirez told The New Yorker earlier this month that Kavanaugh pushed his exposed genitals in her face during their freshman year at Yale, causing her to come in contact when she pushed him away. Kavanaugh has denied the allegations, as well as those from other accusers Christine Blasey Ford and Julie Swetnick.

The Post also reports that the bureau is following up on details given by Ford during her emotional testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, during which she recounted an alleged sexual assault by Kavanaugh when the two were in high school.

Kavanaugh’s nomination moved through the committee on Friday in a party-line vote after Republicans like Sen. Jeff Flake (Ariz.) called for an FBI investigation into the new allegations to take place before the full Senate votes on Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court.

On Friday, the president relented and announced a weeklong investigation focusing on the new information.

“I’ve ordered the FBI to conduct a supplemental investigation to update Judge Kavanaugh’s file. As the Senate has requested, this update must be limited in scope and completed in less than one week,” Trump said in a statement Friday released by the White House.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), however, says that the Senate is “moving forward” with Kavanaugh’s nomination, and would not say if he would wait for the FBI investigation’s results before calling a vote.

“This is a nomination that deserves to move forward, and that is precisely … what is happening. I commend our colleagues on the committee for sending this impressive nominee here to the floor with a favorable recommendation. Now we will keep the process moving,” he said Friday.