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A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 30 april 2019

Rod Rosenstein submits letter of resignation to Trump

By ERIC TUCKER and MI- Rosenstein appointed
CHAEL BALSAMO Mueller after Sessions, who
WASHINGTON (AP) — Dep- ordinarily would have over-
uty Attorney General Rod seen the investigation,
Rosenstein submitted his recused himself in March
resignation Monday, end- 2017 because of his close
ing a two-year run defined involvement in the Trump
by his appointment of a campaign. The appoint-
special counsel to investi- ment came one week af-
gate connections between ter Trump fired Comey, an
Donald Trump's presidential action Rosenstein laid the
campaign and Russia. His groundwork for by writing
last day will be May 11. a memo that sharply criti-
Rosenstein's departure had cized Comey's handling of
been expected following the Hillary Clinton email in-
the confirmation of William vestigation.
Barr as attorney general. The White House initially
The White House nomi- cited the memo as justifica-
nated a replacement for tion for the firing, but Trump
the department's No. 2 slot has said he was thinking of
weeks ago. "this Russia thing" when he
In his resignation letter to fired Comey.
Trump, Rosenstein paid trib- Over the next two years,
ute to Trump, even prais- In this Feb. 25, 2019, file photo, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein speaks at a Center for with Sessions recused from
Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) event on the rule of law in Washington. Rosenstein has
ing the president's sense of submitted a letter of resignation to President Donald Trump. It's effective May 11. the Russia investigation,
humor, despite being the Associated Press Rosenstein set the bound-
subject of some of Trump's aries of Mueller's investiga-
most biting jabs. Trump with the probe as officials later appointed Mueller to gural address: patriotism, tion, approved investiga-
once retweeted an image grapple with public and investigate the Trump cam- unity, safety, education, tive steps and, in place
that showed Rosenstein congressional scrutiny of paign's ties to Russia. That and prosperity, because 'a of the rarely seen special
and other officials jailed for the special counsel's find- investigation swiftly grew to nation exists to serve its citi- counsel, twice announced
treason. ings and the department's include whether the firing zens,'" Rosenstein wrote. criminal indictments from
Rosenstein intended to handling of the report. of Comey constituted ob- The deputy attorney gen- the Justice Department
leave around mid-March He not only supervised struction of justice. eral position is a hugely sig- podium against Russians
but stayed on for the com- Mueller's work for much of Integral to the start of the nificant job, responsible for accused of election inter-
pletion of special coun- the last two years but also investigation, Rosenstein overseeing the daily opera- ference.
sel Robert Mueller's Russia defended the investigation was also present for the tions of the Justice Depart- The investigation overshad-
investigation. Mueller last against attacks from con- very end, standing silently ment and the work of Unit- owed the rest of Rosen-
month submitted his report gressional Republicans and on stage behind Barr two ed States attorneys across stein's work even as he
to the Justice Department, Trump, who has blasted the weeks ago when the at- the country. Trump has joined Sessions in talking
and Rosenstein was part of probe as a "witch hunt." In torney general cleared the nominated Deputy Trans- up the president's agenda,
a small group of depart- so doing, Rosenstein some- president of obstruction, portation Secretary Jeffrey including announcements
ment officials who reviewed times found himself at odds praised the president's co- Rosen as Rosenstein's re- on combating violent crime
the document and helped with Trump. He was none- operation with the inves- placement. and opioid addiction.
shape its public release. theless spared the brunt of tigation and maintained Though Rosenstein's exit Rosenstein endured in the
After Mueller didn't reach anger directed at Sessions, several times that there was orderly, his relationship job beyond Sessions, but
a conclusion on whether whose recusal from the had been no collusion be- with the president had waf- there were moments when
Trump had obstructed Russia investigation infuri- tween the campaign and fled over time. His job sta- his position appeared in
the investigation, Barr and ated the president, lead- Russia. tus appeared perilous last the balance.
Rosenstein stepped in and ing to his forced resignation In his resignation letter, September following news Trump lamented to The
determined the evidence last November. Rosenstein said most dep- reports that he had dis- New York Times in July 2017
wasn't enough to support As deputy, Rosenstein was uties stay in their post for cussed secretly recording that "there are very few Re-
such an allegation. a central character in some about 16 months; Rosen- Trump and invoking a con- publicans in Baltimore," a
Rosenstein appointed of the most consequential, stein will have served about stitutional amendment to reference to Rosenstein's
Mueller in May 2017 fol- even chaotic, moments of two years. remove him from office. He prior job as the U.S. attor-
lowing the recusal of then- the Trump administration. "I am grateful to you for the hung on for several more ney in Maryland. Rosen-
Attorney General Jeff Ses- He wrote a memo criticiz- opportunity to serve; for the months and appeared to stein was appointed to
sions and oversaw much of ing James Comey that the courtesy and humor you of- turn the page, at least pub- that position by Republican
his work. His exit leaves the White House used as justifi- ten display in our personal licly, after a private meet- President George W. Bush
department without the of- cation for the firing of the conversations; and for the ing with Trump aboard Air and remained for the entire
ficial most closely aligned FBI director, then a week goals you set in your inau- Force One. Obama administration.q