Rod Rosenstein Has a Few Choice Words for Media, FBI Leakers, and Obama Administration By Debra Heine
https://pjmedia.com/trending/rod-rosenstein-has-a-few-choice-words-for-media-fbi-leakers-and-obama-administration/
During an event in New York City, Thursday evening, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein shared his feelings about the special counsel’s Russia investigation, while throwing shade on critics, politicians, the media and the Obama administration.
Speaking at a dinner where he was honored by the Armenian Bar Association, Rosenstein defended his handling of the probe, recalling how he had promised to “do it right” during his Senate confirmation hearing and to “take it to the appropriate conclusion.”
“It’s not our job to render conclusive factual findings. We just decide whether it is appropriate to file criminal charges,” Rosenstein noted.
“‘You’re going to be in charge of this [Russia] investigation. I want you to look me in the eye and tell me that you’ll do it right, that you’ll take it to its conclusion and you’ll report [your results] to the American people,'” he said the senator told him.
Rosenstein agreed to the first two things the senator asked, but then explained, “I did not promise to report all results to the public, because grand jury investigations are ex parte proceedings. It is not our job to render conclusive factual findings. We just decide whether it is appropriate to file criminal charges.”
He said that there were “some critical decisions” about the investigation that had been made before he got there. “The previous administration,” he added, “chose not to publicize the full story about Russian computer hackers and social media trolls, and how they relate to a broader strategy to undermine America.”
Rosenstein added that “the FBI disclosed classified evidence about the investigation to ranking legislators and their staffs, lawmakers and their staffers,” and then “someone selectively leaked details to the news media.”
He then reminded his audience that then-FBI Director James Comey announced during a congressional hearing that “there was a counterintelligence investigation that might result in criminal charges.”
“Then the former FBI Director alleged that the president pressured him to close the investigation, and the president denied that the conversation occurred,” he continued. CONTINUE AT SITE
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