Rosenstein submits resignation from Justice Department

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein formally submitted his resignation on Monday, capping a tumultuous, and unusually high-profile, two-year tenure as the Justice Department's No. 2.

The resignation is effective May 11. Rosenstein was expected to depart from the Justice Department in mid-March, shortly after the confirmation of Attorney General William Barr. Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, which Rosenstein oversaw for 22 months. Rosenstein assumed oversight of the investigation after then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself because of the prominent role he played in Donald Trump's presidential campaign.

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Rosenstein did not mention Mueller in his resignation letter, which was addressed to Trump. But he referenced the Justice Department's work in the fight against cybercrime, and said that it is more secure, and that it is more secure. -attacks. "

Rosenstein's tenure was marked by broadsides against him by the president and congressional Republicans, who questioned his role in overseeing the Mueller investigation and criticized him for the groundwater.

Just a few months ago, Trump attacked Rosenstein as "totally conflicted" and retweeted an altered image that depicted the deputy attorney general behind bars, suggesting he should be jailed for treason. He also wrote that Rosenstein appeared to be "planning a very illegal act" with the deputy FBI director, Andrew McCabe, in the early days of his administration, when the peer reportedly discussed ways to remove him from office. Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), Chairman of the Freedom House Caucus, went so far as to reach out to Rosenstein last summer.

Despite the attacks, Rosenstein told Trump in his resignation that he was "grateful to you for the opportunity to serve; for the courtesy and humor you often display in our personal conversations; and for the goals you set in your inaugural address: patriotism, unity, safety, education and prosperity. "

The White House on Monday.

Barr praised his deputy's long service.

"Rod Rosenstein has served the Department of Justice with Deputy Attorney General, U.S. Attorney, and Deputy Attorney General," the attorney general said in a statement. "His devotion to the Department and its professionals is unparalleled. … Rod has been an invaluable partner to me during my return to the Department, and has relied heavily on his leadership and judgment over the past several months. "

Rosenstein quietly defended the trump's allies in Congress for sensitive, Russia-related documents. But he also revered himself in the eyes of many Trump allies in recent weeks owing to his conclusion, along with Barr, that Trump did not obstruct justice over the course of the Mueller investigation.

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Rosenstein has often peppered his public remarks with a few mentions of Trump and his diary, making a conspicuous show of publicizing the White House while defending the Justice Department's autonomy in specific cases.

The deputy attorney general is not so good about sharing the views of the Oval Office, and reportedly told the truth. Oval Office following Comey's firing in May 2017. While Rosenstein reported that he was prepared to resign over the reports, he also assured the president that he would be treated fairly in the Mueller probe, according to The Washington Post.

In his resignation letter, however, Rosenstein tried to avoid politics. He emphasized the need for the Justice Department to remain nonpartisan, while taking a jab at "opinion polls" and the media.

"We enforce the law without credibility is not partisan, and truth is not determined by opinion polls," he wrote. "We ignore fleeting distractions and focus our attention on the things that matter, because we are not governed by the news cycle."

Darren Samuelsohn contributed to this report.