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| Rod Rosenstein's Wall Street Journal interview prompts Republican outrage | Rod Rosenstein's Wall Street Journal interview prompts Republican outrage |
| (about 2 months later) | |
| Some congressional Republicans are furious with the deputy attorney general, Rod Rosenstein, for giving a wide-ranging interview to the Wall Street Journal , while he reportedly ducks on-the-record questioning from legislators. | Some congressional Republicans are furious with the deputy attorney general, Rod Rosenstein, for giving a wide-ranging interview to the Wall Street Journal , while he reportedly ducks on-the-record questioning from legislators. |
| Rosenstein oversees the work of the special counsel, Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian election interference, links between Trump aides and Russia, and potential obstruction of justice by Donald Trump. | Rosenstein oversees the work of the special counsel, Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian election interference, links between Trump aides and Russia, and potential obstruction of justice by Donald Trump. |
| Michael Moore: 'We have the power to crush Trump' | Michael Moore: 'We have the power to crush Trump' |
| Lawmakers have wanted to hear from Rosenstein ever since the New York Times reported that he had openly discussed the idea of wearing a wire to obtain incriminating evidence on Trump, and the idea of impeaching the president via the 25th amendment. Rosenstein has called those claims “inaccurate”. | Lawmakers have wanted to hear from Rosenstein ever since the New York Times reported that he had openly discussed the idea of wearing a wire to obtain incriminating evidence on Trump, and the idea of impeaching the president via the 25th amendment. Rosenstein has called those claims “inaccurate”. |
| Rosenstein did not address those reported remarks in his interview with the Journal, and has said he won’t comment at all on the New York Times report, blaming the alleged statements on “anonymous sources … advancing their own personal agenda”. But that didn’t stop GOP legislators from questioning his priorities. | Rosenstein did not address those reported remarks in his interview with the Journal, and has said he won’t comment at all on the New York Times report, blaming the alleged statements on “anonymous sources … advancing their own personal agenda”. But that didn’t stop GOP legislators from questioning his priorities. |
| “Rod Rosenstein gave an interview to the Wall Street Journal today, after failing to show up in Congress last week to answer questions,” tweeted the Republican congressman Mark Meadows Wednesday. “By hiding from Congress and making time for media interviews, Mr Rosenstein has made his priorities clear. It seems transparency isn’t one of them.” | “Rod Rosenstein gave an interview to the Wall Street Journal today, after failing to show up in Congress last week to answer questions,” tweeted the Republican congressman Mark Meadows Wednesday. “By hiding from Congress and making time for media interviews, Mr Rosenstein has made his priorities clear. It seems transparency isn’t one of them.” |
| The Ohio congressman Jim Jordan added in remarks to the Washington Examiner: “When the chairman of the committee that has jurisdiction over your department asks you to come and answer questions, you are obligated to do so.” | The Ohio congressman Jim Jordan added in remarks to the Washington Examiner: “When the chairman of the committee that has jurisdiction over your department asks you to come and answer questions, you are obligated to do so.” |
| Rosenstein has not publicly said if or why he is avoiding meeting with lawmakers, and his office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. | Rosenstein has not publicly said if or why he is avoiding meeting with lawmakers, and his office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. |
| Congressional Republicans have even threatened to subpoena Rosenstein to appear if need be. “It is essential that we talk to him – he knows that,” congressman Bob Goodlatte told Fox News on Saturday. “He has not agreed to come for a transcribed interview on the record. He needs to do that, and if he does not agree to do that very soon, I will issue a subpoena for him to appear.” | Congressional Republicans have even threatened to subpoena Rosenstein to appear if need be. “It is essential that we talk to him – he knows that,” congressman Bob Goodlatte told Fox News on Saturday. “He has not agreed to come for a transcribed interview on the record. He needs to do that, and if he does not agree to do that very soon, I will issue a subpoena for him to appear.” |
| That would be an extraordinary step – to compel a high-ranking member of a Republican administration to appear before a congressional committee in the same party. But it also wouldn’t be the first dissonant chord struck between Rosenstein and at least one faction of the House Republicans. Meadows, who is chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, led 11 House Republicans in introducing articles of impeachment against Rosenstein in July for unrelated reasons. | That would be an extraordinary step – to compel a high-ranking member of a Republican administration to appear before a congressional committee in the same party. But it also wouldn’t be the first dissonant chord struck between Rosenstein and at least one faction of the House Republicans. Meadows, who is chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, led 11 House Republicans in introducing articles of impeachment against Rosenstein in July for unrelated reasons. |
| Rosenstein used the Journal interview to defend the investigation into the 2016 election led by the former FBI director Mueller, as “appropriate and independent”. Rosenstein is technically in charge of that investigation, as his boss, Jeff Sessions, recused himself from the inquiry. | Rosenstein used the Journal interview to defend the investigation into the 2016 election led by the former FBI director Mueller, as “appropriate and independent”. Rosenstein is technically in charge of that investigation, as his boss, Jeff Sessions, recused himself from the inquiry. |
| “At the end of the day, the public will have confidence that the cases we brought were warranted by the evidence, and that it was an appropriate use of resources,” Rosenstein said. He added that the investigation had thus far uncovered a “widespread effort” by Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election. | “At the end of the day, the public will have confidence that the cases we brought were warranted by the evidence, and that it was an appropriate use of resources,” Rosenstein said. He added that the investigation had thus far uncovered a “widespread effort” by Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election. |
| Rosenstein also thanked Trump in the interview for his attitude towards the investigation, saying he was “pleased the president has been supportive”. The president has, in fact, repeatedly decried the investigation as a “witch-hunt”, and tried to downplay the extent of Russian interference in the 2016 election. | Rosenstein also thanked Trump in the interview for his attitude towards the investigation, saying he was “pleased the president has been supportive”. The president has, in fact, repeatedly decried the investigation as a “witch-hunt”, and tried to downplay the extent of Russian interference in the 2016 election. |
| Rosenstein did not address timetables for Mueller’s investigation. However, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that core findings are expected “soon” after the November midterm elections. | Rosenstein did not address timetables for Mueller’s investigation. However, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that core findings are expected “soon” after the November midterm elections. |
| Republicans | Republicans |
| Trump-Russia investigation | Trump-Russia investigation |
| Robert Mueller | Robert Mueller |
| Russia | Russia |
| Donald Trump | Donald Trump |
| Trump administration | Trump administration |
| Europe | Europe |
| news | news |
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