Rosenstein submits resignation from Justice Department
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein formally submitted his resignation on Monday, capping a tumultuous, and unusually high-profile, two-year tenure as the Justice Department’s No. 2.
The resignation is effective May 11. Rosenstein was expected to depart the Justice Department in mid-March, shortly after the confirmation of Attorney General William Barr. But he delayed his resignation until the end of special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation, which Rosenstein oversaw for 22 months. Rosenstein assumed oversight of the investigation after then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself because of the prominent role he played in Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
Rosenstein didn’t mention Mueller in his resignation letter, which was addressed to Trump. But he referenced the Justice Department’s work in combating foreign interference over the last two years, writing that “our elections are more secure, and our citizens are better informed about covert foreign influence efforts and schemes to commit fraud, steal intellectual property, and launch cyber-attacks.”
Rosenstein’s tenure was marked by broadsides against him by the president and congressional Republicans, who questioned his role in overseeing the Mueller investigation and criticized him for what they saw as stonewalling documents requests.
Just a few months ago, Trump attacked Rosenstein as “totally conflicted” and retweeted an altered image that depicted the deputy attorney general behind bars, suggesting he should be jailed for treason. He also wrote that Rosenstein appeared to be “planning a very illegal act” with the deputy FBI director, Andrew McCabe, in the early days of his administration, when the pair reportedly discussed ways to remove him from office. Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, went so far as to file articles of impeachment against Rosenstein last summer.
Despite the attacks, Rosenstein told Trump in his resignation letter that he was “grateful to you 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.”
The White House on Monday did not respond to a request for comment about the resignation.
Barr praised his deputy’s long service.
“Rod Rosenstein has served the Department of Justice with dedication and distinction for nearly thirty years as a prosecutor, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, U.S. Attorney, and as Deputy Attorney General,” the attorney general said in a statement. “His devotion to the Department and its professionals is unparalleled. … Rod has been an invaluable partner to me during my return to the Department, and I have relied heavily on his leadership and judgment over the past several months.”
Rosenstein quietly defended the special counsel and pushed back on some requests from Trump’s allies in Congress for sensitive, Russia-related documents. But he also redeemed himself in the eyes of many Trump allies in recent weeks owing to his conclusion, along with Barr, that Trump did not obstruct justice over the course of the Mueller investigation.
Trump’s allies have since characterized Rosenstein as a nonpartisan professional whose input legitimized the “no obstruction” finding, while legal experts have questioned the appropriateness of Rosenstein’s weighing in given the role he played in former FBI Director James Comey’s firing, a central episode that Mueller had been scrutinizing as part of his obstruction probe.
Rosenstein has often peppered his public remarks with as many as half a dozen mentions of Trump and his agenda, making a conspicuous show of public alignment with the White House while defending the Justice Department’s autonomy in specific cases.
The deputy attorney general also isn’t bashful about sharing views that seem likely to win favor in the Oval Office, and reportedly told Trump he could “land the plane” of the Mueller investigation after news broke that he had suggested wearing a wire into the Oval Office following Comey’s firing in May 2017. While Rosenstein signaled that he was prepared to resign over the reports, he also assured the president that he would be treated fairly in the Mueller probe, according to The Washington Post.
In his resignation letter, however, Rosenstein tried to avoid politics. He emphasized the need for the Justice Department to remain nonpartisan, while taking a jab at “opinion polls” and the media.
“We enforce the law without fear or favor because credible evidence is not partisan, and truth is not determined by opinion polls,” he wrote. “We ignore fleeting distractions and focus our attention on the things that matter, because a republic that endures is not governed by the news cycle.”
Darren Samuelsohn contributed to this report.