Rosenstein Criticized Obama Admin Over Reaction to Russia, Called Out Comey
He also defended how he handled the probe into possible Trump-Russia collusion.
Outgoing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who is no friend to President Donald Trump, criticized President Barack Obama’s administration over its handling of Russia hacking in 2016 and called out former FBI Director James Comey at the Public Servants Dinner of the Armenian Bar Association. From Fox News:
“The FBI disclosed classified evidence about the investigation to ranking legislators and their staffers,” he said. “Someone selectively leaked details to the news media. The FBI director [Comey] announced at 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.
“So that happened,” he joked.
The Obama administration has been criticized for its handling of the Russian interference. Trump has blamed Obama for not acting quickly enough to stem Russia’s influence during the campaign.
The fact is we knew at the time Russia attempted to influence our 2016 presidential election. Everyone wanted to know why Obama didn’t act against Russia. NBC News even reported on it in 2016 when sources claimed “that the Obama administration did not respond more forcefully because it did not want to appear to be interfering with the election.”
OK they didn’t want it to look like they were interfering so why not just let Russia do it? Obama wanted to talk privately with Russian President Vladimir Putin about it. We all know that Putin backs down when others try to tell him what to do!
One official explained that the administration thought failed Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton would win so why bother?
Rosenstein also hit back at those who tried to decipher his body language when Attorney General William Barr held his press conference on Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report.
Rod Rosenstein speaking in NYC:
“Last week, the big topic of discussion was, what were you thinking when you stood behind Bill Barr at that press conference with a deadpan expression?”
“The answer is: I was thinking, ‘My job is to stand here with a deadpan expression.'” pic.twitter.com/t3vvi7Q9VH
— Philip Bump (@pbump) April 26, 2019
Speaking of Mueller’s report, Rosenstein defended the way he handled the investigation. The lead went to him after then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused him:
“At my confirmation hearing in March 2017, a Republican senator asked me to make a commitment,” he recalled. “He said: “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.
“I did pledge to do it right and take it to the appropriate conclusion. 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.”
I’ve said it over and over, but the media ticked me off when they placed the blame on Barr. They left out the fact that when it came time to summarize and explain it, Rosenstein had a part on it. I guess they didn’t want to mention Rosenstein because, like I said, he and Trump don’t really get along.
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All of the King’s horses and all of the King’s men cannot explain Rosenstein’s approval of the FISA warrant and his instructions to Mueller on the Russia collusion investigation. Nowhere does it mention that Mueller should look into Russian interference into our election process and Mueller doe not mention it anywhere in the report. His one and only job from Rosenstein was to get Trump. WTF does he have on Trump that he has not been fired?
Inspectorudy, you are quite correct, as is Tiki below. Rosenstein has been a weasel from the get-go. He knew, as mueller knew, as well as comey and the rest that this was a coup. He could have stopped it at any time, using the same rationale he specified in his speech. He is trying to save his reputation by throwing everyone but himself under the nearest bus.
Just another Swamp Critter……
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8Df-Ku4bGU
Critters · The Beverly Hillbillies
Provided to YouTube by Sony Music Entertainment
Isn’t the issue here what Rosenstein didn’t do?
He’s framing the discussion by shaming Obama for being a passive observer when in fact Obama was an active participant in setting up a spy-and-sting operation.
The Russian ad-campaign is the Mcguffin.
Comey clearly lied about that conversation with Trump. The Comey statement was designed to add smoke to the Russian/Collusion hoax. We now know there would be no reason for Trump to be scared of a normal counter intelligence investigation as Comey implied.
Comey answers to some higher honor, so there is that… Of course I wouldn’t trust a word that Comey says, he is dirty.
Comey, Rosenstein, Brennan, Clapper, and Herr Mueller are all tied up in this, Rosenstein appointing Mueller has always been suspicious. The cover up they have tried to do when their attempted coup failed falls on all of them.
Rodentstein may be trying to play both sides of the street now that the worm may have turned.
Rosenstein getting out ahead of being investigated for his complicity in the Russia, Russia, Russia sham investigation by throwing shade at everyone else in the Obama administration and the deep state. Methinks the handwriting is on the wall.
Rod Rosenstein in large part created the Mueller Mess. He now wants out. I suspect AG Barr, or other Trump figure, is making Rosenstein walk barefoot over a hot bed of coals in order to atonement and narrative correction. Rosenstein should be in need a lawyer for what he did the likes Carter Page, Don Trump Jr. Paul Manafort, and General Flynn.
Obama did want too many snooping around the Russian Farmhouse worried that someone may find all the bugs on the friendly farmers cottage.
Obama did want too many snooping around the Russian Farmhouse worried that someone may find all the bugs on the friendly farmers cottage.
Well, somebody had to rat out the rest of the conspiracy. Now to get the rest of the rats to start squealing.
“At my confirmation hearing in March 2017, a Republican senator asked me to make a commitment,” he recalled. “He said: “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.”
Well, that was McCain.
I have no particular sympathy for Rosenstein, but ask yourself: how can we make sure that we come to a conclusion that completely exonerates Trump from charges of collusion that everyone has to believe honest and true?
The way is to stack an investigation with enemies of Trump including those with ties to his accusers. If they come up with nothing, as they have, there can be no sensible talk of a whitewash or coverup.
Trump haters took their best shots at him and made a score of zero.
The nasty and even illegal comments by the investigators about Trump possibly wanting to obstruct the investigation make the hatred of the investigators clear. That kind of smear is not appropriate for government prosecutors, and is exactly what Rosenstein recommended firing Comey for.
And anyway, the investigation was so biased and irregular Trump was exactly right if he wanted to close it down, which he did not do. It was a carnival of nonsense whose chief virtue was its total destruction of the notion that the Trump people colluded with the Russian government.
Rosenstein was a foot soldier in the “insurance policy”. Once Comey, the original gatekeeper, was fired, Rosenstein was drafted to fill that spot. Sessions was checked by being forced to recuse himself. As the handwriting was on the wall that Trump was going to fire Comey, Rosenstein was drafted to take his place. To ingratiate himself with Trump, Rosenstein was directed to engineer the immediate firing of Comey, so that the obstruction case could be started. He then appointed Mueller to investigate that, under cover of assuming control of the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane counter intelligence program. To lock him into the conspiracy, he was required to sign off in the final Page FISA warrant renewal. Now, that the entire criminal farce is being exposed, he is in danger of joining Bubba in the Graybar Hotel, or, at least, being fired for cause and losing his pension. So, he is actively employing the Sgt. Schultz defense; “I knew nothing, nothing”.
He is being kept on the payroll as a potential canary. While employed, he is subject to interview by the IG and the administration still controls his pension. Heads are going to roll, in the DOJ, and Rosenstein is tryiing to insure his is not one of them.
Now, one other thing to remember is the words of AG Barr when he explained that he was going to investigate what the Russian Collusion investigation was “predicated” upon. Now we see Rosenstein, Wray and several Democrat Congress Critters renewing the claim that Russia actively interfered in the 2016 elections. Even some Republicans are beginning to sing that refrain. This is all an attempt to establish that there actually WAS Russian interference which would have made Crossfire Hurricane, and other actions, necessary. This is building a case, in the mind of the public, to justify the actions taken against Trump.
Rosenstein. Rat.