GOP rushes to oust Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein amid mounting indictments

Trump’s Republican allies in the House of Representatives are preparing to oust Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and could file paperwork to impeach him as soon as Monday, Politico reports.

Although Republicans have wanted to get rid of Rosenstein for weeks, they appear to be seriously ramping up their efforts in preparation for an imminent move.

The news comes just as Rosenstein announced the Department of Justice is charging 12 Russian intelligence operatives for conspiring to interfere in the 2016 elections.

According to Politico, “House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows, in fact, had the impeachment document on the floor of the House at the very moment that Rosenstein spoke to reporters and TV cameras Friday.”

Meadows and fellow Freedom Caucus leader Jim Jordan are spearheading the push to impeach Rosenstein. Both are staunch allies of Trump who have used their positions in Congress to try to obstruct, corrupt, and shut down the Russia probe.

Politico reports that Republicans put “the finishing touches” on documents to impeach Rosenstein on Friday. A source told the publication that the impeachment documents could be filed as early as Monday.

When contacted by Politico, a spokesman for Meadows declined to rule out if it would be filed next week.

As the DOJ’s top official overseeing the Russia investigation, Rosenstein has long been a target for attacks lobbed by congressional Republicans seeking to shield Trump from scrutiny.

In April, CNN reported that the White House was preparing a smear campaign aimed at undermining Rosenstein’s credibility. As part of that effort, Trump reportedly planned to use his allies in Congress and right-wing media to go after Rosenstein, hoping to build a case for ousting him without it looking like an act of obstruction.

Republicans claim that Rosenstein is improperly refusing their demands for certain internal DOJ documents concerning aspects of the Russia investigation and the Hillary Clinton e-mail probe.

While Congress has the authority to request such documents, the DOJ does not have to blindly hand over evidence pertaining to an ongoing investigation — particularly when there are legitimate concerns that sensitive information will be leaked to the public or to the White House.

Rosenstein made this exact point in May, saying that the department isn’t going to just open the doors and let Congress “rummage through” files. Doing so might even violate DOJ policies or laws, he said, and in some cases could risk lives.

Still, Republicans haven’t let up on their attacks against him, and even a dozen new indictments against Russians who attacked our electoral process aren’t slowing them down. Clearly, protecting Trump is more important to them than protecting the country.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.