When Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein stepped in to oversee the Russia investigation, after Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself, one of his first acts was to assign a special counsel, Robert Mueller. He likely didn’t consider that he might be called in for questioning, himself, but that’s just what happened.
Apparently, Rosenstein was interviewed in June or July by Mueller’s office, and it would appear the focus is on President Trump’s firing of James Comey. Was it obstruction by Trump?
Rosenstein authored the White House memorandum that announced Trump’s decision to fire Comey, citing his poor handling of the FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton‘s use of a private email server.
In June, Rosenstein told colleagues in private that he thought he must recuse himself from the investigation as well.
Rosenstein and everybody else saw their legs cut out from under them after Comey’s firing, when Trump sat with NBC’s Lester Holt and told the world that Comey was fired because of the Russia investigation.
Trump’s claim that he fired Comey because he wouldn’t intervene to stop the Russia investigation, coupled with Comey’s testimony that Trump asked him to drop the investigation of Michael Flynn seems to be enough support to carry on with an obstruction case, so if Trump has a problem with it, he pretty much has himself to thank.
Trump has called the investigation a “phony Russian witch hunt” and has accused Democrats of trying to undermine the legitimacy of his election win through the investigation.
Nope. You’ve done that yourself by acting like a guilty man, whether you are, or not.
Ultimately, Rosenstein has authority over Mueller and the Russia investigation, but you can bet he’s not going to get in the way. That would make what is already a mess into something much worse.
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