New documents place Rosenstein at center of DOJ-media ‘coup’

by WorldTribune Staff, October 6, 2019

A May 16, 2017 email from then-Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to former Bush administration Deputy Attorney General and current Kirkland & Ellis Partner Mark Filip stated: “I am with Mueller. He shares my views. Duty Calls. Sometimes the moment chooses us.”

The next day, May 17, Rosenstein appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller to investigate alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

Former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. / C-SPAN

The email was obtained by Judicial Watch in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit.

Other documents obtained in the FOIA suit show that, during the same period, between May 8 and May 17 of 2017, Rosenstein met with then-acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe and other senior Justice Department FBI officials to discuss wearing a wire and invoking the 25th Amendment to remove President Donald Trump.

The documents also show that, during that same time frame, Rosenstein was in direct communication with reporters from 60 Minutes, The New York Times and The Washington Post.

In an email exchange dated May 2017, Rosenstein communicated with New York Times reporter Rebecca Ruiz to provide background on an article about himself. Ruiz emailed Rosenstein a draft of the article, and he responded with off-the-record comments and clarifications.

On May 17, 2017, the day of Mueller’s appointment, Rosenstein exchanged emails with 60 Minutes producer Katherine Davis in which he answered off-the-record questions about Mueller’s scope of authority and chain of command:

Rosenstein: “Off the record: This special counsel is a DOJ employee. His status is similar to a US Attorney.”

Davis: “Good call on Mueller. Although I obviously thought you’d be great at leading the investigation too.”

Also on May 17, 2017, Rosenstein had an email exchange with the subject line “Special Counsel” with the Washington Post’s Sari Horwitz:

Rosenstein “At some point, I owe you a long story. But this is not the right time for me to talk to anybody.”

Horwitz: “Now, I see why you couldn’t talk today! Obviously, we’re writing a big story about this. Is there any chance I could talk to you on background about your decision?”

“These astonishing emails further confirm the corruption behind Rosenstein’s appointment of Robert Mueller. They also show a shockingly cozy relationship between Rosenstein and anti-Trump media reporters,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.


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