Rod Rosenstein: Deputy Attorney General Resigns

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, head of the Department of Justice who appointed special advocate Robert Mueller to lead the investigation on Russia, is finally officially and formally withdrawing.

Rosenstein has submitted his letter of resignation not quite subtle to the President on April 29, indicating that the last day of his term will be May 11.

"We apply the law without fear or favor, because credible evidence is not partisan and the truth is not determined by polls. We ignore momentary distractions and focus our attention on the things that matter because a sustainable republic is not governed by the information cycle, "Rosenstein wrote to the president. "We keep the faith, follow the rules and we always put America first."

Rosenstein's departure is expected for some time after rumors announced earlier this year that he was considering voluntarily leaving the administration following the arrival of new Attorney General Bill Barr, confirmed the February 14th. That was more than two months ago, and Rosenstein ended up staying in place after the conclusion of the Mueller investigation that he had supervised once and the publication of the report partially redacted on the 18th April.

Rosenstein's departure ushered in a new era at the Department of Justice: Mr. Barr brings Jeffrey Rosen, who was assistant secretary of transport, to replace Rosenstein as number two.

The legacy left by Rosenstein as Deputy Attorney General is complex. The Vice-President is usually responsible for the day-to-day activities of the Department of Justice – an extremely important job, but one that does not often make headlines.

But when Attorney General Jeff Sessions turned down all of the investigations into the 2016 presidential campaign in March 2017, the position of DOJ Leader # 2 suddenly became much more interesting. And it got even worse when, in May, Rosenstein wrote a letter in which he recommended that President Trump dismiss fBI director James Comey, and, in the chaos that followed Trump, appointed a special council charged with to supervise the investigation of Russia.

The Mueller Inquiry is now over. It is therefore fitting that Rosenstein now leaves the Department of Justice. He protected the investigation and defended his mandate during times of turmoil in the administration and against Republican pressure in Congress.

And one way or another, Rosenstein – the man who oversaw the "witch hunt" so loathed by Trump – has survived for nearly two years at this post. Even Rosenstein himself seemed surprised by his ability to leave as he pleased. "The average tenure of a deputy attorney general is 16 months," noted Rosenstein in his resignation letter, "and few of them have a life span longer than two years."

The appointment of Rosenstein's special advocate, Robert Mueller, will define his mandate as DAG

The Senate confirmed Rosenstein as Deputy Attorney General in April 2017 with overwhelming support from bipartisan parties. After being appointed by George W. Bush in 2005, Rosenstein was previously a Maryland Department lawyer, having been appointed by the US Attorney at the Department of Justice. He held this position until the end of the Obama administration.

About two weeks into his tenure as Deputy Attorney General, Trump fired FBI director James Comey and issued a memo stating that Rosenstein had written about Comey's treatment of Hillary Clinton. Trump used this note to justify the removal of Comey.

The chaos ensued in the days following Comey 's dismissal, suggesting that Trump had dismissed Comey over the intensification of the investigation into Russia. This concern only grew after Trump had admitted in an interview with NBC's LBC Holester that he was angry at the investigation of Russia when he had fired Comey. .

On May 17, 2017, Rosenstein probably made the most decisive decision of his term: he named Robert Mueller, a former director of the FBI, special adviser to take charge of the investigation of Russia.

Rosenstein oversaw the investigation until the end of 2018, when Trump forced Sessions to retire and appointed his chief of staff, Matthew Whitaker, acting AG. But even then, Rosenstein would have continued to be involved in the daily management of the Mueller investigation.

Rosenstein provided critical oversight, including approving Mueller's investigative mandate and signing important decisions, such as the removal of the investigation by Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen to Manhattan's federal prosecutors.

More importantly, Rosenstein protected the independence of Mueller's work from attacking Trump's attacks and the president's congressional allies.

Rosenstein is the last survivor of the Trump administration

These battles did not attract Rosenstein's attention to the president and his supporters. The Deputy Attorney General appeared to be on the verge of being fired several times during his tenure as Trump protested against the Russian investigation and conservative groups attacked Rosenstein. The Deputy Attorney General also faced a (albeit short-lived) threat of indictment by House Republicans in July 2018.

Yet he managed to survive, as did the investigation on Russia. It was close, though. In September, The New York Times published a story that Rosenstein was planning to wear a wire to record Trump and was discussing the hiring of Cabinet members to invoke the 25th Amendment against the President in the tumultuous days that followed the dismissal of Comey.

The deportation of Rosenstein seemed imminent – and there were reports that the Deputy Attorney General had resigned from the president, raising the fear of the future of the Mueller probe.

But that did not happen; Rosenstein survived the 2018 midterm elections and even survived the sessions, which Trump eliminated less than 24 hours after polls closed.

Finally, in December, Trump suggested Bill Barr replace Sessions as Attorney General. Rosenstein reportedly told his colleagues that he intended to leave once Barr – who would probably want to bring his own team – was confirmed, although Rosenstein did not come up with a specific timetable. Barr's confirmation was confirmed in February, which led to a new series of reports that Rosenstein would leave in March, which would help him make the transition and then leave permanently.

On February 20, the White House announced that it would appoint Jeffrey Rosen as Deputy Attorney General, although Rosenstein remained in office. On the same day, reports indicated that Mueller's investigation was about to end soon.

On March 22, Mueller presented his final report to Bill Barr. Since then, Rosenstein has defended the treatment of the investigation in the Mueller case, referring the critics of the investigation and its role in the investigation.

"Today, our country is safer, the elections are safer and citizens are better informed about hidden foreign influence schemes," said Rosenstein at an event organized Thursday at the club. Yale from New York. "But everyone was not happy with my decision, in case you did not notice it."

The end of Mueller's investigation – and the presentation of Rosen's candidacy in the Senate shortly afterwards – made it clear that Rosenstein's term was coming to an end. And next month, it will become official.

Rosenstein was one of the most monitored positions of the Trump administration. His decision to appoint Mueller changed the course of Trump's presidency. The impact of the Mueller report is just beginning – but Bill Barr, rather than Rosenstein, will do it.