GOP: Don’t spare Rod!

House pols push impeachment of Rosenstein over probe info

WASHINGTON — Eleven House Republicans have introduced articles of impeachment against Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who oversees special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference and President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign.

House Republicans have criticized Rosenstein (photo) for not being responsive enough as they have requested documents related to the Russia investigation as well as a closed investigation into Democrat Hillary Clinton’s emails.

The articles were introduced by North Carolina Rep. Mark Meadows and Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, frequent critics of the Justice Department. The introduction does not trigger an immediate vote, but Meadows and Jordan could make procedural moves on the House floor that could force a vote late this week or when the House returns from its upcoming five-week recess in September.

The House is scheduled to leave for that recess Thursday.

The move came about two hours after GOP lawmakers met with Justice Department officials who have been working to provide documents to several congressional committees about decisions made during the 2016 presidential campaign. The department has provided lawmakers with more than 800,000 documents, but Meadows said after the meeting that there was still “frustration” with how Justice has handled the oversight requests.

Republican leaders, however, have said in recent weeks that they are satisfied with the Justice Department’s progress. House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Trey Gowdy said after the meeting that he was pleased with the department’s efforts and wouldn’t support Rosenstein’s impeachment. House Speaker Paul Ryan has also said he is satisfied with progress on the document production. Democrats criticized Republican efforts to pressure the Justice Department, saying they are trying to undermine Mueller’s investigation. “This resolution to impeach Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein is a direct attack on the special counsel’s investigation – full stop,” according to a joint statement from ranking members of the House Judiciary Committee. “It is a panicked and dangerous attempt to undermine an ongoing criminal investigation in an effort to protect President Trump as the walls are closing in around him and his associates. It is certainly not, as its sponsors claim, a principled attempt to conduct oversight of the Department of Justice, because House Republicans have refused to conduct oversight of any aspect of the Trump administration, except where the inquiry might distract from their failed agenda, undermine law enforcement and serve the interests of President Trump.” The committee members, including representatives Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), promised the effort was a non-starter. “It is fortunate that this resolution has no chance of actually forcing the removal of Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein, who stands as one of the few restraints against the overreaches of the President and his allies in Congress. To date, special counsel Mueller has obtained 30 indictments and five guilty pleas against a group that includes four Trump campaign officials and 26 Russian nationals. The President should not mistake this move by his congressional enablers as a pretext to take any action against Mr. Rosenstein or Mr. Mueller and his investigation. Any attempt to do so will be viewed by Congress and the American people as further proof of an effort to obstruct justice with severe consequences for Trump and his presidency.”