In a simply extraordinary back and forth that is taking place between House Republicans and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, Rosenstein had strong words Tuesday for anyone who is trying to pressure the Department of Justice into taking certain actions.
"I can tell you, ya know, there've been people who have been making threats, privately and publicly against me for quite some time," Rosenstein said at a Newseum event in Washington. “I think they should understand by now the Department of Justice is not going to be extorted."
Wow. Seriously, when was the last time a top DOJ official publicly warned members of Congress against trying to extort the agency?
Rosenstein's answer came in the wake of breaking news Monday night that conservative House Republicans had drafted articles of impeachment against him for not producing the myriad documents they have been insisting on getting.
Conservative members led by Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), chairman of the House Freedom Caucus and a close ally to President Trump, drafted the eight articles of impeachment against Rosenstein.
The articles include allegations that Rosenstein violated federal law by refusing to comply with a congressional subpoena over Congress’s efforts to obtain documents about FBI surveillance during the election, intentionally stalling document production for congressional investigations into possible government misconduct and failing to enforce key laws and protocols.
In reality, the Justice Department has produced a good number of the documents House Republicans have requested, including the GOP's latest effort two weeks ago to discredit the origins of the Russia probe by obtaining the Comey memos that ultimately proved nothing of the sort. In multiple instances, and with the blessing of House Speaker Paul Ryan, GOP members have demanded documents from the Department of Justice, which the lawmakers have then disclosed directly to the public.
In fact, Rosenstein mocked the fact that even the impeachment articles had been leaked Monday without anyone being willing to simply attach their name to the effort. "I just don't have anything to say about documents like that that nobody has the courage to put their name on and that they leak in that way," said Rosenstein.
These are extraordinary times, indeed.
