Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., criticized the Justice Department for sidestepping recent inquiries he’d made about Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein’s possible recusal from the Russia probe.
On May 31, Graham sent Rosenstein a letter asking if he would recuse himself from overseeing special counsel Rober Mueller’s probe, given a potential conflict of interest.
On Wednesday, the DOJ responded to Graham’s inquiry. Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd wrote to Graham that Rosenstein “would recuse from all or part of any matter if recusal were deemed appropriate by Department officials who are informed about the matter,” but up until that time, “he has a responsibility to fulfill his oath to well and faithfully execute the duties of his office.”
Graham took a shot at the non-answer during a Wednesday interview on Fox News.
“I didn’t get a very good answer as to why,” Rosenstein wouldn’t have a conflict of interest, Graham told host Martha MacCallum.
He noted that Rosenstein not only wrote the DOJ memo that led to former FBI Director James Comey’s firing and but also signed a FISA warrant used against members of the Trump campaign.”
“To me, he seems to be conflicted.”
“It was kind of gobbledygook,” he flatly stated. “I just don’t know how Mr. Rosenstein is not part of the witness chain, and if you’re a witness, you can’t oversee the investigation you’re a witness in.”
