Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has agreed to speak with top House lawmakers about reports that he suggested wearing a wire in the White House last year and discussed invoking the 25th Amendment to remove President Trump from office.
Rosenstein, who oversees special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, agreed to the meeting during a call late Thursday with Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, a person familiar with the situation told the AP.
Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC), who leads the conservative House Freedom Caucus, tweeted Friday that GOP leaders agreed to ask Rosenstein for a private meeting “so he can explain his alleged comments on ‘wiring’ POTUS–as well as other inconsistent statements.”
“If Mr. Rosenstein fails to show up, we will subpoena him,” he added.
A Justice Department source told Politico that Rosenstein had agreed to the meeting even before Meadows’ threat of a subpoena.
It was unclear whether the discussion will be part of a formal House GOP investigation into allegations of misconduct and anti-Trump bias by FBI and Justice Department officials in 2016 and 2017, according to Politico.
The Judiciary Committee and the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, led by Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC), have been investigating the bureau’s and Justice’s conduct during their probes into Trump’s alleged Russia ties and Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server.
A spokeswoman for House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) told the Washington Post on Friday morning that the Judiciary Committee “is calling the shots,” and that “we support the Judiciary Chairman.”
New York Rep. Jerry Nadler, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, sounded the alarm that the Democrats — including Rep. Elijah Cummings of the Oversight Committee — might be shut out of the interview.
“The @HouseGOP cannot be left alone in a room with DAG Rosenstein,” Nadler tweeted Friday. “They will not stop until their attempt to undermine Mueller’s investigation is complete. I will demand that @SpeakerRyan give us access to that meeting.”
Nadler called the meeting with Rosenstein part of a GOP effort to undermine Mueller’s probe into Russian election interference and possible collusion with the Trump campaign.
Rosenstein’s job appeared to be in jeopardy since a New York Times report that said he had discussed recording Trump and invoking the 25th Amendment to remove him from office.
He made the suggestions in the spring of 2017 after Trump fired FBI chief James Comey, according to the Times. Rosenstein has denied the report and his defenders have said his remarks were merely sarcastic.
Trump on Wednesday said he wants to keep Rosenstein in his job for now and postponed a meeting with the embattled deputy AG until next week because of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
With Post wires
