Rosenstein's interview with Trump's congressional allies postponed indefinitely



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On October 8, Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein, right, leaves Air Force One of the Andrews Common Base, Maryland. (Alex Brandon / AP)

Interview with Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein with a joint House of Representatives Committee to review the Justice Department's investigation into President Trump's alleged relationship with Russia will not take place week, as planned, according to Congressional advisers involved in planning.

The Judiciary, Government Oversight and Reform Committees were scheduled to hold closed meetings with Rosenstein on Thursday as part of their investigation into the conduct of federal law enforcement officers during the investigation into the campaign. Trump and on the use by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of a private mail server. However, according to people familiar with the discussions, a dispute over the interview conditions prevented the committees and the Justice Department from reaching an agreement on the holding of the meeting.

This delay means that Rosenstein may not be visiting Capitol Hill for an interview before next month's election, potentially exposing him to a subpoena. The Judiciary Committee of the House frequently used subpoenas in this inquiry to compel witnesses to testify and the production of documents from the Department of Justice.

"We have a lot of questions for Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein and we are waiting for answers to these questions," said an assistant to the Judiciary Committee of the House. "There is not yet a confirmed date for a possible meeting. Nevertheless, we will continue to provide updates as we have them. "

Rosenstein, who oversees the special council's investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election, has been targeted by Trump's Republican allies in the mixed group. They accused the Department of Justice of deliberately making efforts to produce documents for the purposes of the investigation. This dispute broke out in a public confrontation during the summer, during which Republican lawmakers sentenced Rosenstein and urged him to put an end to the investigation conducted by the special council, conducted by Robert S. Mueller III.

Legislators' interest in bringing Rosenstein back to Capitol Hill followed the release of a New York Times report stating that the Deputy Attorney General had suggested secretly registering Trump and invoking a constitutional amendment to remove the president. Rosenstein contested the report, although he offered to resign following him.

On Monday, Trump said he was not considering removing Rosenstein, as a result of a discussion they had had on board Air Force One.

The Judiciary Committee of the House has already summoned notes written by former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe that Rosenstein suggested he register the president. Last week, the government's judicial and control and reform committees interviewed former FBI General Counsel James Baker, who told the groups that he understood Rosenstein's proposal to be serious.

At a Senate hearing on Wednesday, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Chair of the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, urged FBI Director Christopher A. Wray that 39, he provided a copy of McCabe's memorandum detailing the May 16, 2017 meeting.

"Will we have this memo?" Johnson asked.

"We have to get back to you on this," said Wray. This angered the legislator, who complained that the FBI too often blocks congressional requests for information.

"This keeps the people's representatives from discovering the truth," said Johnson. "Whenever a criminal investigation is opened, the Congress can not obtain any information."

Legislators in the House – some of whom expressed skepticism about McCabe's credibility when he was being investigated while lying to FBI officials – said they wanted to hear Rosenstein directly. It is also expected that they will ask him questions about other remarkable materials that, according to Trump's allies, will outline what Matt Gaetz's representative (R-Fla.) Called them. "rotten" foundations of the Mueller probe.

The support of Republican House leaders for these efforts has fluctuated. Last month, frustrated by what they saw as an inaction of the committees, Trump's allies directly urged Trump to declassify the documents they considered the key to the congressional committee's investigation. Trump had initially agreed – before coming back, under pressure from his allies.

The Judiciary Committee has since filed documents that it says show that the FBI had left crucial information outside of its request to monitor former Trump campaign advisor Carter Page.

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