Gregg Jarrett: Rod Rosenstein’s coup attempt to depose Trump should not go unpunished
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein’s actions, as recounted by the New York Times Friday, are the equivalent of an attempted coup — a plot to overthrow the president.
As the Times reveals, Rosenstein was furious that Democrats blamed him for the firing of FBI Director James Comey.
Rosenstein, who had volunteered to write the firing memorandum, was “regretful and emotional.” His behavior was described as “erratic.”
He blamed Trump.
So, in an apparent act of vengeance, he proposed secretly recording the president to try to gain damaging information about him.
He solicited others to wear wires, including Andrew McCabe, who was later fired as Assistant FBI Director. Rosenstein is said to have discussed recruiting cabinet members to depose Trump under the 25th Amendment.
All of this is reportedly evidenced in memos, including those written by McCabe.
Friday afternoon, in response to the Times story, Michael R. Bromwich, Andrew McCabe’s attorney issued this statement for the record:
“Andrew McCabe drafted memos to memorialize significant discussions he had with high level officials and preserved them so he would have an accurate, contemporaneous record of those discussions. When he was interviewed by the Special Counsel more than a year ago, he gave all of his memos — classified and unclassified — to the Special Counsel’s office. A set of those memos remained at the FBI at the time of his departure in late January 2018. He has no knowledge of how any member of the media obtained those memos.”
Rosenstein strongly denied that the facts recounted by the Times.
“The New York Times’s story is inaccurate and factually incorrect,” he told Fox News. “I will not further comment on a story based on anonymous sources who are obviously biased against the department and are advancing their own personal agenda. But let me clear about this: Based on my personal dealings with the president, there is no basis to invoke the 25th Amendment.”
Additionally, Rosenstein also said this in a statement: “I never pursued or authorized recording the President and any suggestion that I have ever advocated for the removal of the President is absolutely false.”
So who is telling the truth?
Consider this: Is it any wonder that Rosenstein has refused to produce those records which Congress lawfully demanded months ago? Rosenstein has been trying to cover-up evidence of his own wrongdoing. This may constitute obstruction of justice by withholding incriminating evidence.
Were Rosenstein’s words merely sarcasm, as some suggest? Here are two critical passages in the Time’s story:
“One participant asked whether Mr. Rosenstein was serious, and he replied animatedly that he was.”
“According to the others who described his comments, Mr. Rosenstein not only confirmed that he was serious about the idea but also followed up by suggesting that other FBI officials who were interviewing to be the bureau’s director could also secretly record Mr. Trump.”
This invites the question: did Robert Mueller, who interviewed with Trump to be FBI Director the day before he accepted the job as special counsel, wear a wire? Probably not. But as I explained in my book, “The Russia Hoax,” Mueller may have been there to gather evidence against Trump during his interview with the president. It was one of the three reasons why Mueller should have recused himself. Yet, he refused to do so.
Mueller’s Investigation Should Be Terminated
Rosenstein should be fired immediately. Proposing to secretly record the president is, at the very least, a violation of regulations that govern a security clearance.
Importantly, the entire special counsel investigation should be promptly terminated. This illegitimate probe has been tainted by corruption from the outset, and this is just the latest in a mountain of damning evidence.
Rosenstein has been in charge of the Mueller probe. Yet, it is clear that he harbors an extreme bias against Trump. How can anyone now view the investigation as fair, objective and neutral? It is not. It never has been.
The special counsel probe has been compromised and contaminated by Rosenstein’s actions, Mueller’s refusal to disqualify himself, the misconduct of former FBI agent Peter Strzok, and the obvious bias of lead prosecutor Andrew Weissmann.
From the moment Trump was sworn in as president, saboteurs at the FBI and Justice Department have worked furiously to undue the election results and frame Trump for “colluding” with Russia to win the 2016 presidential election.
They conjured a false case based on a fabricated “dossier” paid for by Hillary Clinton’s campaign and composed by a British spy who was fired for lying.
They misappropriated that document to launch the Trump-Russia investigation without probable cause. They then exploited the same “dossier” to wiretap a Trump campaign associate, Carter Page. In the process, they concealed vital evidence and deceived FISA judges, perpetrating a fraud on the court.
Those who abused their positions of power to subvert the rule of law and undermine the democratic process should be held accountable.
It should begin with the firing of Rod Rosenstein. It should end with a presentment to a grand jury for potential criminal indictments.