Financial Times - Rosenstein defends Russia probe special counsel
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June 13, 2017. David J Lynch.
Deputy attorney-general says no reason to fire Mueller despite attacks on independence.
Special counsel Robert Mueller has done nothing to justify being fired despite a mounting clamour against him by supporters of US president Donald Trump, deputy attorney-general Rod Rosenstein said on Tuesday.
Just four weeks after being appointed to investigate allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, Mr Mueller, 72, has come under attack by Republicans such as former House speaker Newt Gingrich. On Monday, Newsmax Media chief executive Christopher Ruddy, a friend of Mr Trump’s, said the president was considering firing Mr Mueller, a respected former FBI director, because he is investigating “flim-flam.”
Under US Department of Justice regulations, Mr Rosenstein has authority over the special counsel’s office and can fire him for “misconduct, dereliction of duty, incapacity, conflict of interest, or for other good cause, including violation of departmental policies.”
Attorney-general Jeff Sessions, who was active in Mr Trump’s campaign, recused himself from the Russia probe after it emerged that he had not revealed meetings with Sergei Kislyak, Russia’s ambassador to Washington, at his confirmation hearing.
If Mr Trump wants to oust the man investigating his campaign’s alleged Russia links, he can order Mr Rosenstein to act. But the deputy attorney-general pledged to safeguard the special counsel’s independence, suggesting he would step aside rather than fire Mr Mueller without reason.
“I’m not going to follow any orders unless I believe those are lawful and appropriate orders,” said Mr Rosenstein. “If there were not good cause, it wouldn’t matter to me what anybody says.”
Mr Mueller is a former marine who received the Bronze Star in Vietnam and later spent 12 years as director of the FBI, taking office one week before the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Trump backers have assailed Mr Mueller’s long friendship with former FBI director James Comey, a central figure in the unfolding Russia scandal, and criticised the special counsel’s hiring of attorneys who have contributed financially to Democrats. One new hire, veteran prosecutor Jeannie Rhee, represented the Clinton Foundation as a partner at Wilmer Hale.
Mr Gingrich, who first praised Mr Mueller for his “impeccable” reputation, in recent days said that Republicans were “delusional” if they expected him to conduct a fair probe.
But on Tuesday, House Speaker Paul Ryan pushed back, saying: “I have confidence in Bob Mueller.”
Mr Trump “should let Bob Mueller do his job, do his job independently and do his job quickly, because I think that that’s what he would want to have happen,” Mr Ryan told radio host Hugh Hewitt.
Mr Rosenstein’s remarks came as he filled in at an annual budget hearing for Mr Sessions, who skipped the session to attend a Senate intelligence committee hearing on the Russia affair. Mr Rosenstein faced questions over his boss’s absence from lawmakers who warned that the president should not fire the special counsel.
“It would be catastrophic,” said Senator Dianne Feinstein, an influential Democrat. “It would destroy any shred of trust in the president’s judgment that remains over here.”
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