Wing of GOP turns up heat
Lawmakers move to impeach Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein
WASHINGTON— A group of 11 House Republicans has 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.
The Republicans who introduced the resolution have criticized Mr. Rosenstein for not being responsive enough as they have requested documents related to the Russia investigation and a closed investigation into Democrat Hillary Clinton’s emails. It is unclear whether there will be enough support in the party to pass it, as Republican leaders have not signed on to the effort.
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 Mr. Meadows and Mr. 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.
“For nine months we’ve warned them consequences were coming, and for nine months we’ve heard the same excuses backed up by the same unacceptable conduct,” Mr. Meadows said in a statement announcing the move. “Time is up and the consequences are here. It’s time to find a new deputy attorney general who is serious about accountability and transparency.”
Mr. Meadows and Mr. Jordan are leaders of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, a bloc whose members have been among the most persistent critics of Mr. Rosenstein. All 11 lawmakers who filed the resolution are members of the caucus.
In an appearance on Fox Business Network Wednesday night, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., said that while the next step remains uncertain, “it was very important for those of us who believe that norms have been violated to step out and say Rod Rosenstein needs to be impeached.”
“The mountain of evidence against Rod Rosenstein is very compelling when you look at the extent to which documents and witnesses have been withheld,” said Mr. Gaetz, one of the lawmakers who introduced the resolution.
Democrats have argued that House Republicans’ clashes with Mr. Rosenstein are little more than a pretext to weaken Mr. Mueller’s efforts.
On W e d n e s d a y , M r . Meadows and Mr. Jordan filed the resolution a little more than an hour after leaving a meeting with top Justice Department officials, including FBI General Counsel Dana Boente and Inspector General Michael Horowitz. Exiting the meeting, Mr. Meadows declined to comment on his plans regarding Mr. Rosenstein, but said there was “still great frustration” with the pace that subpoenaed documents had been produced to Congress.
But that was far from a unanimous opinion for the lawmakers who participated. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., said he believed that the Justice Department officials were making progress toward complying with the subpoena and that impeaching Mr. Rosenstein would be a bad idea.
“I’m not a big fan of drama,” Mr. Gowdy said. “Impeachment is a punishment, it’s not a remedy. If you’re looking for documents, then you want compliance, and you want whatever moves you toward compliance.”
House Republican aides said Wednesday that if a member moved to force a vote on the measure, leaders would likely move to send it to the House Judiciary Committee for further review, effectively bottling it up indefinitely. But that could still be an uncomfortable vote for many Republican lawmakers who are under pressure from conservatives groups — and the voters who follow them — to unseat the man who oversees the investigation Mr. Trump routinely denigrates as a “witch hunt.”
Among those who would be under pressure: The GOP leaders who are looking to move up the ladder following House Speaker Paul Ryan’s retirement, including Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and Majority Whip Steve Scalise, RLa., who have been wooing conservatives in anticipation of a succession battle.
For months, House Republicans have accused the Justice Department and FBI of stonewalling and footdragging in response to lawmakers’ demands for documents about the 2016 probe of Hillary Clinton, the ongoing probe into Russian interference in the election, and the sources and methods used in the Russia probe.