The Washington Post editorial board said deputy attorney general nominee Rod Rosenstein made the right decision by not committing to appointing a special prosecutor to look into the Trump administration’s alleged ties to Russia.
Senate Democrats have called on Rosenstein to promise that once confirmed, he would name a special prosecutor to look into the issue, effectively removing himself from any say in a potential investigation.
“The sooner the Senate confirms him, the sooner the administration will have another adult in its top ranks,” the paper said in an editorial published Wednesday night. “So it’s unfortunate that Mr. Rosenstein faced demands from Democrats at his Tuesday confirmation hearing that no one in his position should accede to.”
Attorney General Jeff Sessions has already recused himself from any role he could play in investigating any associations President Trump’s campaign may have had with the Russian government.
Sessions, who supported Trump during the campaign, recused himself after he confirmed reports that he had contact with the Russia’s ambassador to the U.S. ahead of the election. Sessions said he did not believe it would make sense for him to investigate any aspect of a campaign of which he was a part.
Senate Democrats are saying that once confirmed, Rosenstein should do the same, though he was not a part of the Trump campaign.
“We believe that Russian interference in the election is a matter of such grave public importance that appointing a special counsel would add to the Justice Department’s appearance of independence and integrity,” said the Post. “But we respect Mr. Rosenstein for refusing to pre-commit. So should the Senate.”
