Rosenstein Was Reportedly Upset at How White House ‘Used Him’ in Comey Firing

Despite his public statements, a new report says Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has privately expressed frustration with the White House over the James Comey firing.

Rosenstein famously wrote that memo criticizing Comey that played a major role in the former FBI director’s firing, which he completely stood by to Congress last year.

However, according to The New York Times, the Deputy AG felt he was being “used”:

In the days after the F.B.I. director James B. Comey was fired last year, the deputy attorney general, Rod J. Rosenstein, repeatedly expressed anger about how the White House used him to rationalize the firing, saying the experience damaged his reputation, according to four people familiar with his outbursts…

Mr. Rosenstein appeared conflicted, according to the four people… He alternately defended his involvement, expressed remorse at the tumult it unleashed, said the White House had manipulated him, fumed how the media had portrayed the events and said the full story would vindicate him, said the people, who in recent weeks described the previously undisclosed episodes.

Rosenstein testified before the House Judiciary Committee yesterday and was grilled by a number of Republicans, one of whom said he should be recused from the Mueller investigation.

A DOJ spokeswoman said to the Times that if Rosenstein was upset, it was “because Mr. McCabe concealed from him the existence of memos by Mr. Comey about his interactions with Mr. Trump.”

[image via screengrab]

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Follow Josh Feldman on Twitter: @feldmaniac

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