Special counsel Robert Mueller’s team interviewed Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein about the firing of James Comey as FBI director over the summer, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday night, citing people familiar with the Mueller probe.
CNN later confirmed that Mueller’s office has interviewed Rosenstein as part of its Russia probe. The interview took place in either June or July, according to the Wall Street Journal. Mueller’s team has been looking into whether President Donald Trump attempted to obstruct justice by firing Comey.
Rosenstein sat for an interview for an investigation he technically oversees as the deputy attorney general. Asked about this, Justice Department spokesman Ian Prior suggested that there is still no reason for Rosenstein to recuse himself from the probe. The fact that Rosenstein has not recused himself suggests Mueller is not treating him as a key witness in the probe.
“As the deputy attorney general has said numerous times, if there comes a time when he needs to recuse, he will. However, nothing has changed,” Prior told the Journal.
Rosenstein discussed with Trump his concerns about Comey in May, and promptly wrote a memo outlining the reasons for Comey’s firing at Trump’s direction, as has been previously reported.
In his interview with Mueller’s team, Rosenstein said that Trump at the time acknowledged that firing Comey would not end the Russia probe and that the decision could create problems for the president, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.
