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Liberal Lawyer: Dem Senator Pretty Much Made the Trump White House’s Case in Rosenstein Hearing

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. . .Liberal lawyer Jonathan Turley, who is also a law professor at George Washington University, noted, [Sen. Mazie Hirono] pretty much made a solid defense…of the Trump administration. One of the best parts was when Hirono thought that 1,000 former DOJ lawyers saying otherwise meant something. Nope. As Rosenstein slapped her down, he noted that the DOJ has legions of lawyers, current and former:

Hirono raised reports that he discussed wearing a wire or using the 25th Amendment to remove Trump. . .

Hirono seems to be making a case for the Administration. She just prompted Rosenstein to say that he agreed with the view that there was no evidence of obstruction of justice. She then dug deeper and Rosenstein just said that “he agrees that there was no evidence of a crime” by Trump.

Hirono continued to dig deeper. She pressed Rosenstein on how a 1000 prosecutors disagreed with him. Rosenstein just said “we have a lot more than 1000 former prosecutors.” He said that while they did not know the full record, he did. Hirono cut him off again. Rosenstein said it was unfair. “Nobody was in favor of prosecution.”

(Read more from “Liberal Lawyer: Dem Senator Pretty Much Made the Trump White House’s Case in Rosenstein Hearing” HERE)

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Rosenstein Scope Memo for Mueller Peddled Steele Dossier, Logan Act Conspiracy Theories; Fox Host Rips Rosenstein: ‘Deep State’s Abuse of Power as Clear as Ever’

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By The Federalist. Former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein’s memo authorizing Robert Mueller’s anti-Trump investigation was riddled with conspiracy theories lifted straight from the bogus dossier of Christopher Steele, a newly released, less redacted version of the memo shows. The memo, portions of which were declassified on April 30, 2020, specifically targeted former Trump campaign affiliates Carter Page, Paul Manafort, Michael Flynn, George Papadopoulos, and one individual whose identity is redacted.

The Aug. 2, 2017 scope memo, which was provided by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to the Senate Judiciary Committee following requests from Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., cited Steele dossier collusion conspiracy theories about Manafort and Page.

Rosenstein ordered Mueller to investigate allegations that Page “committed a crime or crimes by colluding with Russian government officials with respect to the Russian government’s efforts to interfere with the 2016 election[.]” The same language was used to justify the targeting of Manafort.

Rosenstein’s memo also peddled discredited legal theories about the Logan Act, a 1799 law criminalizing political speech by American citizens that has never been successfully prosecuted, to justify investigations of former White House National Security Adviser (NSA) Michael Flynn. The scope memo directed Mueller to investigate allegations that Flynn “committed a crime or crimes by engaging in conversations with Russian officials during the period of the Trump transition.”

The Mueller probe, after nearly two years and tens of millions of dollars, unearthed no evidence of collusion by any Trump campaign officials. However, a sprawling investigation by the DOJ Office of Inspector General found that Rosenstein’s DOJ fabricated evidence and falsified documents to justify an illegal federal spy warrant against Page. A Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) lawyer, reported to be Kevin Clinesmith, allegedly altered documents from a U.S. intelligence agency to erase evidence that Page had for years worked on behalf of the U.S. government to help investigate Russian agents who were attempting to damage the U.S. and compromise national security. (Read more from “Rosenstein Scope Memo for Mueller Peddled Steele Dossier, Logan Act Conspiracy Theories” HERE)

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Hannity Rips Rosenstein After Mueller ‘Scope Memo’ Released: ‘Deep State’s Abuse of Power as Clear as Ever’

By Fox News. Sean Hannity opened his Wednesday night program by praising Attorney General William Barr after the Justice Department released the unredacted August 2017 “scope memo” that laid out the full extent of then-Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigative powers.

Hannity said the memo shows Mueller’s probe covered more ground than previously thought, even giving Mueller latitude to investigate people like Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn for what the host called “a bogus, non-existent Logan Act violation.”

Sean Hannity opened his Wednesday night program by praising Attorney General William Barr after the Justice Department released the unredacted August 2017 “scope memo” that laid out the full extent of then-Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigative powers.

Hannity said the memo shows Mueller’s probe covered more ground than previously thought, even giving Mueller latitude to investigate people like Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn for what the host called “a bogus, non-existent Logan Act violation.” . . .

He said the fact that Rosenstein gave Mueller such a wide purview despite his own knowledge of inconsistencies in the source material proves “the deep state’s abuse of power is now as clear as it has ever been.” (Read more from “Hannity Rips Rosenstein After Mueller ‘Scope Memo’ Released: ‘Deep State’s Abuse of Power as Clear as Ever'” HERE)

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Bombshell Report Says Rod Rosenstein Played Key Role in Killing Criminal Case Against Walmart

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After a two-year criminal investigation into Walmart allegedly revealed a widespread practice of dispensing opioids without a legitimate medical purpose, federal prosecutors in Texas were preparing to take the unprecedented step of leveling criminal charges against the world’s largest company. But after a 2018 meeting with top Trump appointees at the Department of Justice, led by then-Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, the prosecutors were first prevented from filing criminal charges, then prevented from pursuing a civil case against company, ProPublica reported Wednesday.

According to the massive report, the prosecutors presented clear evidence showing that Walmart provided opioids that resulted in overdoses throughout the country, even after the company’s pharmacists told Walmart they shouldn’t be filling the scripts because they were being written by doctors who were clearly running “pill mills.” One employee even provided records showing that a doctor in Florida maintained “a list of patients from Kentucky that have been visiting pharmacies in all of central Wisconsin,” sending patients to different Walmart’s across 30 states. . .

After getting the DEA’s acting administrator Uttam Dhillon on board, the prosecutors met with Rosenstein and several other top-level Trump administration appointees at the Department of Justice in Washington.

Joe Brown, then the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, and his team again presented the evidence, explaining that Walmart’s business practice was “akin to dealing heroin”; they implored Rosenstein not to allow it to go on. . .

“Rosenstein’s quip brought the prosecutorial team up short,” the report said. “Not long after, Rosenstein’s assistant entered the room to say he had a call. He left. The prosecutors’ push to persuade Rosenstein to revive the criminal case had failed.” (Read more from “Bombshell Report Says Rod Rosenstein Played Key Role in Killing Criminal Case Against Walmart” HERE)

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Rod Rosenstein Hands in Resignation

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Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who frequently found himself in the political crosshairs due to his role in the special counsel’s Russia probe and whose departure has long been expected, submitted his resignation on Monday to President Trump, effective May 11. . .

“His devotion to the Department and its professionals is unparalleled,” the statement read. “Over the course of his distinguished government career, he has navigated many challenging situations with strength, grace, and good humor.”

In his resignation letter, Rosenstein thanked Trump “for the opportunity to serve; for the courtesy and humor you often display in our personal conversations; and for the goals you set in your inaugural address: patriotism, unity, safety, education, and prosperity, because ‘a nation exists to serve its citizens.'”

Rosenstein, 54, previously served as deputy assistant attorney general and U.S. attorney. He had intended to leave his position last month but stayed on for the completion of the Mueller probe, which Rosenstein had overseen. . .

Rosenstein was part of a small group of department officials who reviewed the document and helped shape its public release. After Mueller didn’t reach a conclusion on whether Trump had obstructed the investigation, Barr and Rosenstein stepped in and determined the evidence wasn’t enough to support such an allegation. (Read more from “Rod Rosenstein Hands in Resignation” HERE)

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Rod Rosenstein Expected to Resign Next Month

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By The Blaze. CNN has reported that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is expected to step down next month, citing an anonymous Justice Department official with knowledge of Rosenstein’s thinking.

Rosenstein, who has had oversight of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into President Donald Trump and the Trump campaign and potential collusion with Russia, had reportedly already planned to step down once Attorney General William Barr was confirmed, although the exact timing of that move was previously unknown.

Barr has already selected deputy transportation secretary Jeffrey Rosen as his deputy attorney general, an appointment that is likely to be announced soon.

Rosenstein’s name has been back in the news in recent days as former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe has talked publicly about Rosenstein allegedly discussing how Trump could be removed from office under the 25th Amendment if they could prove that he was unfit for office. . .

Rosenstein and the Justice Department have denied those allegations, but that didn’t stop Trump from taking a shot at Rosenstein, whom Trump nominated in 2017, and McCabe on Twitter. (Read more from “Rod Rosenstein Expected to Resign Next Month” HERE)

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Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein Expected to Step Down by Mid-March, Official Says

By Fox News. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is expected to leave his role at the Justice Department by mid-March, a senior DOJ official told Fox News on Monday.

An official announcement of who has been selected to replace Rosenstein could come as early as this week. A Trump administration official added that Attorney General William Barr has picked Jeffrey Rosen, who currently serves as Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, to take over for Rosenstein.

A graduate of Northwestern University and Harvard Law School, Rosen previously served as General Counsel and Senior Policy Advisor for the White House Office of Management and Budget (2006 to 2009) and as General Counsel at the Department of Transportation (2003 to 2006), according to his online biography.

Rosen, confirmed for his current role by the Senate in May 2017, works under Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao in overseeing the daily operations of the department.

Fox News reported in January that Rosenstein was expected to step down in the coming weeks to ensure a smooth transition for Barr, who was sworn-in on Thursday. (Read more from “Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein Expected to Step Down by Mid-March, Official Says” HERE)

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Fresh Speculation Says Rod Rosenstein May Leave DOJ He Helped Corrupt

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One of the most powerful men in the country appears poised to step off the Washington chess board. According to multiple reports, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein will resign in the coming weeks to make room for the incoming Attorney General William Barr—if Barr is indeed confirmed. According to The New York Times, Rosenstein helped pick Barr and they worked together at the Justice Department.

Rosenstein’s time at the Department of Justice (DOJ) will be remembered with controversy. To the public, he is perhaps best remembered for an alleged plot to convince cabinet members to depose the president using the 25th Amendment and a secret recording Rosenstein would make.

Rosenstein’s critics charge that he used his powerful position to obstruct congressional oversight (in some cases to protect himself personally), direct selective and political prosecution, oversee the Robert Mueller investigation in spite of an apparent conflict of interest, approve the final extension on the government surveillance of U.S. citizen Carter Page in spite of serious questions about the justification, and provide questionable testimony about an alleged incident during which Rosenstein is reported to have threatened congressional staffers.

Rosenstein started his DOJ career in 1989 after graduating from Harvard University when he landed a coveted internship with Mueller, who was then U.S. attorney for the District of Massachusetts. His long friendship with Mueller led Rosenstein to identify Mueller as his role model.

Rosenstein worked for Independent Counsel Ken Starr’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s role in the White House Travel Office scandal. In 2000, Starr’s office (possibly at Rosenstein’s recommendation) publicly declined prosecution of Hillary Clinton for her role in the scandal. Rosenstein is married to Lisa Barsoomian, who represented Bill Clinton in 1999. Rosenstein also worked for the Clinton administration in the 1990s. (Read more from “Fresh Speculation Says Rod Rosenstein May Leave DOJ He Helped Corrupt” HERE)

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Reasons It’s Time to Fire Rod Rosenstein

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. . .I don’t play four-dimensional chess. But it seems to me that when a subordinate undermines the president, defies Congress, flouts the rule of law, and now bucks the chain of command, it’s time to reach onto the chess board and relocate Rosenstein’s office to McMurdo Research station in Antarctica. If I were president, Rosenstein would share a desk with Bruce Ohr in their new Antarctic empire. Allow me to offer a very incomplete list of justifications to reassign Rosenstein to the polar tundra. . .

Recently, The New York Times published an allegation that Rosenstein, as acting attorney general, “suggested last year that he secretly record President Trump in the White House… discussed recruiting cabinet members to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Mr. Trump from office for being unfit.” . . .

It’s one thing to resist congressional oversight. It’s another thing to do it while giggling and smirking during a congressional hearing and a public speech in Washington. If any lawyer had done the same during a proceeding before an Article III judge, the judge would have been duty-bound to have sanctioned his lack of decorum. A president should not tolerate his subordinate showing such contempt for a co-equal branch of government. . .

Rosenstein has a history of obstructing Congress and disregarding the president’s calls to cooperate with Congress. . .

Rosenstein has ignored serious violations of the law by Trump’s opponents while aggressively pursuing Trump’s allies. More disturbing, Rosenstein tolerates the political violence of Antifa and its numerous instances of viciously attacking political opponents. The DOJ would prosecute the attacks as civil rights violations if the victims were leftists. (Read more from “Reasons It’s Time to Fire Rod Rosenstein” HERE)

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Trump: I Am NOT Firing Rod Rosenstein

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President Donald Trump told reporters Monday that he does not plan to fire Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, despite weeks of rumors indicating Rosenstein was likely facing his final weeks at the Department of Justice.

Trump was asked during a short presser before getting on Marine One whether he intended to dismiss Rosenstein during a trip the pair was scheduled to take together to Florida Monday afternoon. . .

Instead, Trump said, he was “looking forward” to having a lengthy discussion with Rosenstein, the first since a New York Times piece appeared accusing Rosenstein of instructing DOJ employees to record any conversations they had with the president, and suggesting that Rosenstein had been discussing Trump’s fitness for office with members of the president’s Cabinet.

Rosenstein flatly denied the Times’ allegations and accused the Times of relying on a single anonymous source. NBC News reported later that other DOJ employees thought Rosenstein’s comments about taping the president were “sarcastic.” The White House summoned Rosenstein for a meeting last week, and Rosenstein reportedly anticipated being fired. He was not. (Read more from “Trump: I Am Not Firing Rod Rosenstein” HERE)

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Former FBI Lawyer Lisa Page Thought Rosenstein Was Serious About Wiretapping Trump

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While we’re on the eve of battle with Democrats over Brett Kavanaugh, let’s not forget the Rod Rosenstein watch, which could be just a head fake. Removing Rosenstein would create another political headache, though liberals are worried that the president will fire the deputy attorney general this Thursday, the day of the scheduled hearing of allegations of sexual misconduct against Judge Kavanaugh who has been nominated for the U.S. Supreme Court. The allegations are unsubstantiated, unprovable, and lack in evidence. They’re also over 30-plus years old. That in itself doesn’t make it less serious, but when there are no corroborative witnesses because they all refute your story—the credibility is called into question. And both allegations have more holes than Swiss cheese.

Yet, back to Rosenstein, the deputy AG has been embattled for months, and he’s ready to be fired. That was reported eons ago—and yet, he remains. Rosenstein is overseeing Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is now quarterbacking the FBI’s initial counterintelligence probe into possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign. Firing him would send shockwaves, or at least in the minds of the elite news media that obsessed over this story all day yesterday; Kavanaugh was barely mentioned until the evening hours.

Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein has come back into the spotlight over a New York Times article that reported he suggested secretly record the interactions within the Trump White House in order to build support among his cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove him from office. Rosenstein strongly denied the story, and said he has never witnessed anything from President Trump that would suggest the 25th Amendment would be necessary to even consider. Later, NBC News reported that Rosenstein said this in jest, but Lisa Page, the mistress to disgraced FBI Agent Peter Strzok, who was fired over his anti-Trump texts, reportedly wasn’t so sure if the deputy AG was joking (via Daily Beast):

A debate with major implications has broken out over whether Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein was being sarcastic when, in the spring of 2017, he reportedly talked about covertly recording President Donald Trump.

A former career Justice Department official who was in the room when the topic arose told The Daily Beast he believes the deputy attorney general was being sarcastic. But another person in the room at the time has indicated she took it seriously.

(Read more from “Former FBI Lawyer Lisa Page Thought AG Rosenstein Was Serious About Wiretapping Trump” HERE)

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Republicans File Impeachment Articles Against Rosenstein – Here’s Why They Did It

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Several Republicans in the House of Representatives filed articles of impeachment against Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein Wednesday. . .

Republicans claimed in the resolution that Rosenstein had improperly refused to hand over documents requested by Republican members of Congress investigating claims of bias and corruption at the Department of Justice and the FBI.

“We can’t get answers for the American people if we can’t get information from the DOJ,” tweeted Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). “It’s time to impeach Rod Rosenstein.”

“I just filed a resolution with [Jim Jordan] and several colleagues to impeach Rod Rosenstein,” said Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) Wednesday in a tweet.

“The DOJ has continued to hide information from Congress and repeatedly obstructed oversight–even defying multiple Congressional subpoenas,” he added. “We have had enough.”

(Read more from “Republicans File Impeachment Articles Against Rosenstein – Here’s Why They Did It” HERE)

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