Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD), the Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, released a statement amid the confusion around the employment status of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein on Monday, calling for an emergency hearing if Rosenstein is fired.
Read Cummings’ statement below:
“We have received conflicting reports this morning that President Trump was about to fire Mr. Rosenstiein, that Mr. Rosenstein resigned in anticipation of being fired, or that the White House falsely claimed that Mr. Rosenstein resigned when he had not.
“If President Trump forces out Mr. Rosenstein—regardless of how it happens—the American people deserve a full and complete accounting of these actions, and the Oversight Committee should hold an immediate emergency hearing with Mr. Rosenstein, obtain all the emails and other correspondence from the White House and Justice Department, and start conducting transcribed interviews and depositions about this decision.
“Mr. Rosenstein’s removal would plunge our nation into uncharted territory and pose a serious and profound threat to the continued work of the Special Counsel, and I would expect the American people to be outraged if President Trump’s extended campaign to interfere with this investigation results in Mr. Rosenstein’s ouster.”
Rosenstein’s status was still unclear as of early Monday afternoon, though reports are emerging that he attended a regularly scheduled principals meeting after speaking with White House chief of staff John Kelly.
