No. 2 Justice pick pressed on special Russia probe
WASHINGTON - The man expected to oversee any possible Department of Justice case involving Russian interference in the American election got his first public grilling Tuesday and admitted not knowing more about events “than I’ve read in the newspapers.”
Rod Rosenstein, the U.S. attorney for Maryland, gave that answer in response to questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is considering his nomination to be deputy attorney general, a post from which he would supervise the Russia investigation in place of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who recused himself from the probe last week.
Rosenstein said his lack of detailed knowledge of the Russia case prevented him from being able to answer questions about whether he would appoint a special counsel to oversee the investigation, a step Democratic senators favor.
“I do not know the details, and I would not reach any conclusions based on what I read in the newspapers,” he said. He pointed out, under questioning from Sen. Dianne Feinstein (DCalif.), that he did not have access to the full classified intelligence community report on Russian interference and said he had not read the unclassified version.
Democratic Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota expressed frustration that Rosenstein had not at least read the unclassified version. “I find that very, very disturbing,” Franken said.
It was Franken’s questioning during Sessions’ confirmation hearing in January that led to the attorney general’s recusal last week after it was revealed that, contrary to his testimony, he had met twice with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during last year’s presidential campaign, when Sessions was an adviser to Donald Trump.
Franken repeated to Rosenstein the question he had asked Sessions: “If there is any evidence that anyone affiliated with the Trump campaign had contact with the Russian government, what would you do?”
Rosenstein responded that if there were an indication that the communications had “violated federal law, I would ensure an appropriate investigation.”
Rosenstein noted that neither former Attorney General Loretta Lynch nor current acting Deputy Attorney General Dana Boente, both of whom have had oversight of the Russia probe previously, had appointed a special prosecutor, despite having the authority to do so.
“They made their decisions not to appoint a special counsel, and they have access to information that I do not have,” he said.
The nomination of a deputy attorney general is usually a routine, lowkey affair. But Rosenstein’s confirmation hearing was packed, evidence of the hold that the prospect of Russian meddling in November’s election has on Washington, where two congressional investigations and one by the FBI are underway.
In addition to Sessions’ recusal last week, Trump’s first national security adviser, retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, was fired last month for misleading Vice President Mike Pence about his contacts with Kislyak.