Report: Deputy AG Pushed WH To Correct Initial Emphasis On His Comey Memo

United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein gives testimony before the US Senate Committee on the Judiciary on his nomination to be Deputy Attorney General on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC ... United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein gives testimony before the US Senate Committee on the Judiciary on his nomination to be Deputy Attorney General on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on Tuesday, March 7, 2017. Credit: Ron Sachs / CNP - NO'WIRE'SERVICE'- Photo by: Ron Sachs/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images MORE LESS
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Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein reportedly pushed White House Counsel Don McGahn to correct the White House’s initial narrative about FBI Director James Comey’s departure, which seized on a memo from Rosenstein as the justification for firing Comey.

The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday:

Mr. Rosenstein left the impression that he couldn’t work in an environment where facts weren’t accurately reported, the person said. The deputy attorney general objected to statements by White House aides citing Mr. Rosenstein’s critical assessment of Mr.Comey’s job performance to justify the firing.

The Wall Street Journal’s reporting follows a Wednesday night article from the Washington Post detailing how Rosenstein threatened to quit over the White House’s portrayal of his role in Comey’s firing.

During a visit to Capitol Hill on Thursday, Rosenstein told Sinclair Broadcast Group that he is not resigning and that he did not threaten to quit.

Initial comments on Comey’s firing from the White House pinned the President’s decision on a memo from Rosenstein arguing that the former FBI director mishandled aspects of the probe into Hillary Clinton’s email use. But late Wednesday and Thursday, the White House began to shift the narrative, placing more emphasis on Trump’s longstanding unhappiness with Comey.

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  1. I just want to grab these guys and shake them and scream at them “IF YOU HELP HIM, TRUMP WILL RUIN YOU!” I don’t understand why so many people in Washington are so slow to figure this out.

  2. Baloney and also Malarcky You ask me to do the hit and then you out me. lol. you own it

  3. Mr. Rosenstein left the impression that he couldn’t work in an environment where facts weren’t accurately reported, the person said. The deputy attorney general objected to statements by White House aides citing Mr. Rosenstein’s critical assessment of Mr.Comey’s job performance to justify the firing.

    Too late, tovarisch. Lie down with fleas, get up with more fleas.

  4. Nice try, but as Josh noted on the front page, you own what you did and can’t spin it away that you didn’t know what you were doing and the purpose of what you did wasn’t known to you. The text of your own memo betray your claims. And that you “thought about” but didn’t resign proves you have no defense or argument.

    Furthermore, even if you were really that gullible and easily pushed around, that is prima facie evidence that you are not qualified for, or up to the task of your position.

    Resign.

  5. Avatar for zsak zsak says:

    Tomorrow the excuse will involve Bozo the Clown.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

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