WASHINGTON – Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein Wednesday defended the Justice Department against charges of political bias and said there’s no good cause to fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
“I can assure you that the Special Counsel is conducting himself consistently with our understanding about the scope of his investigation,” Rosenstein told House Judiciary Committee Wednesday, speaking of Mueller’s investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
Asked if he believes there’s no good cause to fire Mueller, Rosenstein responded: “Correct.”
Rosenstein was in the hot seat over allegations Mueller has amassed a team of investigators who are out to get President Trump. Rosenstein stood by the professionalism of his department and said employees cannot be discriminated against because of political affiliation.
“The issue of bias is something different,” Rosenstein said.
“I believe that Director Mueller understands that and that he is running that office appropriately, recognizing that people have political views but ensuring that those views are not in any way a factor in how they conduct themselves in office.”
Newly-released text messages between FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page in 2016 say “F Trump!” and call the president a “loathsome human” and an “idiot.” Strzok and Page are no longer on Mueller’s team.
“These text messages prove what we all suspected: high-ranking FBI officials involved in the Clinton investigation were personally invested in the outcome of the election, and clearly let their strong political opinions cloud their professional judgment,” said Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.).
But Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) said there’s nothing wrong with FBI agents expressing private political views over text messages.
“Strzok did not say anything about Donald Trump that the majority of Americans weren’t also thinking at the same time,” said Nadler, the top Democrat on the committee.
Rosenstein appointed Mueller to investigate Russian interference in the election after Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself. Mueller has indicted four Trump associates, two of whom have already pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.
Republicans concerned about Mueller going too far have called for him to be fired and they have urged the Justice Department to appoint a second special counsel – but this time to investigate Hillary Clinton.
Aside from Page and Strzok, Republicans have raised political bias concerns over Mueller prosecutor Andrew Weissmann, who expressed “awe” at former acting Attorney General Sally Yates for defying Trump’s travel ban. Trump later fired Yates, an Obama Administration holdover.
Goodlatte, the committee chairman, also blasted another Mueller prosecutor, Jeannie Rhee, who represented the Clinton Foundation and Hillary Clinton in litigation when she was in private practice.
Goodlatte raised more concerns about a recently demoted DOJ official Bruce Ohr. His wife worked for Fusion GPS, the firm tied to the infamous Trump “dossier.”
“DOJ’s reputation as an impartial arbiter of justice has been called into question,” Goodlatte said. “This taint of politicization should concern all Americans who have pride in the fairness of our nation’s justice system.”