The fate of the man overseeing the special investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election could be on hold because of another political drama involving President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee.
Trump and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein were set to meet Thursday at the White House to discuss last week's story in The New York Times that Rosenstein had suggested secretly recording Trump to obtain evidence to have him removed from office for being unfit to govern.
But Thursday is also the day the Senate Judiciary Committee will hear separate testimony from Judge Brett Kavanaugh and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who alleges Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers.
Rosenstein has overseen the independent Russia investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller, making him a frequent target of Trump's attacks on the probe. Several high-ranking officials of Trump's campaign have pleaded guilty to various charges in connection with Mueller's investigation, which has led to speculation that the campaign may have cooperated directly with Russia to swing the election in Trump’s favor.
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein leaves the White House in Washington, Sept. 24, 2018.
But Trump told reporters in New York Wednesday that he prefers leaving Rosenstein in his post "and let him finish up."
Rosenstein has issued two statements flatly denying he sought to gather information on Trump in order to invoke a constitutional amendment that lays out a process for removing a sitting president from office.
The New York Times story led to a firestorm of media reports on Monday that Rosenstein was either going to be fired or had offered to resign.