Rosenstein Defends Russia Probe

News  |  Oct 18, 2018

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein tells The Wall Street Journal the American public will be able to trust the findings of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation because the inquiry has been conducted appropriately and independently. 

“People are entitled to be frustrated, I can accept that,” he said, in a nod to attacks on the probe from some conservatives and Republicans. “But 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.”

Mr. Rosenstein said the investigation has already revealed a widespread effort by Russians to interfere in the 2016 presidential election, an assertion that has been played down by Mr. Trump and repeatedly called into question by other members of the administration.

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The rare interview, in his conference room on the fourth floor of the Justice Department, took place during a turbulent period for Mr. Rosenstein, whose appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller in May 2017 has made him the subject of scrutiny and attack by Mr. Trump and his allies in Congress.

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“I committed I would ensure the investigation was appropriate and independent and reached the right result, whatever it may be,” Mr. Rosenstein said, referring to comments he made during his confirmation hearing. “I believe I have been faithful to that.”

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“I try very hard to ignore media speculation about what we’re doing and focus instead on what we’re actually doing,” Mr. Rosenstein said. “We sit down every day and we work toward the goals of the department and try to ignore the inevitable attention in the media.”

Mr. Rosenstein declined to comment on a timetable for completion of the Mueller probe, but the special counsel’s office has taken some actions suggesting it could wrap up within several months, including holding negotiations with the White House about whether Mr. Trump would submit to questioning.

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If a new attorney general takes office after the midterm elections, that individual would likely not be recused, relieving Mr. Rosenstein of the task of supervising the investigation and moving him somewhat out of the spotlight.

Meanwhile, Mr. Rosenstein said he acknowledges his critics but stands by his oversight of the inquiry.

“I believe that our department and our office have been appropriately managing that investigation,” Mr. Rosenstein said.

Rod Rosenstein Defends Mueller Probe as ‘Appropriate and Independent’ (WSJ) *Note: All WSJ articles appear behind a paywall