Rod Rosenstein bids farewell: ‘Justice is in good hands’

At a farewell ceremony at the Justice Department on Thursday, Rosenstein was surrounded by key figures from the years-long inquiry, including Attorney General William Barr and his predecessor Jeff Sessions.

Rosenstein did not mention the Russia investigation, but did give a nod to Sessions, who recused himself from the matter in March 2017 and delegated oversight to his deputy. “Attorney General Sessions told us to follow the regular order and ensure the nonpartisan administration of justice. And that’s what we did,” Rosenstein said.

Throughout his speech, Rosenstein spoke about how despite external pressure and scrutiny, the rule of law was maintained. “We stayed the course and we accomplished what we set out to do. There are many people in this room who joined me defending the ramparts of justice,” he said.

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Rosenstein also thanked his family for supporting him during his tumultuous two-year term. He joked that one of his daughters loved to remind him that “I was wrong when I told her that Deputy AG is a low-profile job.”

Both Barr and Sessions also spoke, defending Rosenstein’s oversight of the Mueller investigation, which wrapped up this year.

“He’s faced criticism from all corners, but has proven remarkably unflappable, and this in turn has shown the department is unflappable in the face of public and political pressure,” Barr said. “Rod, you can leave here proud knowing the department is better for your efforts and your leadership.”

Sessions, who called Rosenstein a “friend and a loyal partner,” praised Rosenstein for serving “honorably,” and for his accomplishments in reducing crime and contending with the opioid crisis. He also quipped about the controversies they both faced.

“When we came in I had no doubt … there would be a lot of controversies during my tenure — the Office of Attorney General has frequently found itself at the vortex of law and politics and separation of powers. But in truth I have to say our run exceeded my expectations,” Sessions said to laughter. “Considerably.”

FBI Director Christopher Wray also spoke at the event, which was attended by Rosenstein’s family, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, former White House counsel Don McGahn, White House lawyer Emmet Flood, and U.S. lawmakers. Noticeably absent from the ceremony was Mueller himself, who has been critical of Barr’s handling of the Russia investigation report rollout.

Democrats in Congress are now feuding with Barr over access to the full report. After the Justice Department defied a subpoena to hand over Mueller’s full, unredacted report for the Russia investigation, the House Judiciary Committee voted to cite Barr for contempt of Congress on Wednesday, but did so along party lines. Meanwhile, the White House asserted executive privilege over Mueller’s findings.

During his speech, Barr joked about the contempt vote. “You like records,” Barr said at the Justice Department event, referring to Rosenstein. “This must be a record for an attorney general being proposed for contempt within a hundred days of taking office.”

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The report, released in redacted form last month, showed Mueller found insufficient evidence to establish criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia, but declined to make a final determination about whether the president obstructed justice.

Rosenstein, 54, a former U.S. attorney in Maryland, played an unusually prominent role as the Justice Department’s second-in-command. He took over the Russia investigation when then-Attorney General Sessions recused himself due to his role in President Trump’s successful 2016 White House bid.

Rosenstein submitted his resignation letter to Trump on Monday, effective May 11. Rosenstein’s designated successor, Jeffrey Rosen, a favorite of Barr, is awaiting a likely confirmation by the Senate. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted along party lines on Thursday to approve Rosen, who currently is deputy secretary at the Department of Transportation, paving the way for a confirmation vote by the full Senate.

Wrapping up his speech to the crowd, which included dozens of current Justice Department leaders, staffers, and attorneys, Rosenstein said, “I leave here confident that justice is in good hands. It’s in your hands. Thank you and farewell.”