Just days after leaving his post as the deputy attorney general, Rod Rosenstein slammed his former colleague James Comey during remarks at the Greater Baltimore Committee on Monday evening, calling him a “partisan pundit” who crossed “bright lines that should never be crossed.”
“Now, the former director is a partisan pundit, selling books and earning speaking fees while speculating about the strength of my character and the fate of my immortal soul,” Rosenstein said during the speech, according to Fox News footage of the event. “That is disappointing. Speculating about souls is not a job for police and prosecutors. Generally, we base our opinions on eyewitness testimony.”
The rebuke doesn’t come as a surprise. Earlier this month, the former FBI director slammed Rosenstein and Attorney General William Barr for having no “soul” and and no strength to “resist the compromises necessary to survive Mr. Trump.”
Rosenstein also criticized Comey’s handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation, but said he still respected Comey and considered him a friend. He suggested he would have handled his firing better if he’d been in charge.
“If I had been the decision maker, the removal would have been handled very differently, with far more respect and far less drama,” Rosenstein said. “So I do not blame the former director for being angry.”
Watch the speech below:
Rosie, you were the decision maker. You let Trump use you to get rid of Comey.
“Rosenstein also criticized Comey’s handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation, but said he still respected Comey and considered him a friend.”
What a little weasel Rosenstein.
With friends like that…
I’ve had a nuanced view of Rosenstein. He’s evil but has been useful at critical junctures of the Mueller probe. After this comment, I would prosecute him as an accessory to obstruction of justice. I’ve long said that his justification for Trump firing Comey for what Comey did to HRC was a transparently bad faith and disingenuous argument. He knew better. He wrote that memo to curry favor with Trump and provided an obstruction cover story. The only saving grace was that it didn’t work because Trump blew it up on Lester Holt, which sent Rosenstein running scared and he moved to appoint a Special Counsel. But there’s no question in my mind that he knew what he was doing. He should be investigated and prosecuted as an accessory to obstruction.
He then went on to provide evidence that supported Comey’s descriotion.
Not that Rosenstein’s parting ass kiss for Trumop left many doubts about Comey’s accuracy.
Rosenstein, I don’t want to hear any more from you. You choked when you could have spoken up for the rule of law. Go enjoy your retirement; no more pronouncements from you. You’re not worthy, Trump sycophant.