Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein told House lawmakers on Wednesday that he has seen no good cause to fire special counsel Robert Mueller, despite Republican complaints that new evidence shows his staff is too biased against President Trump to fairly investigate whether his alleged ties to Russia helped turn the 2016 election.
Rosenstein appointed Mueller to lead the Department of Justice’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, and because of Attorney General Jeff Sessions’s recusal into that investigation, only Rosenstein can fire Mueller. But when asked if he has any good cause to fire Mueller, Rosenstein said “No.”
“If you were ordered today to fire Mr. Mueller, what would you do?” House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., asked during an oversight hearing with Rosenstein Wednesday.
“I would follow regulation. If there were good cause, I would act. If there were no good cause, I would not,” Rosenstein replied.
Nadler pushed Rosenstein again, asking, “And you’ve seen no good cause so far?”
“Correct,” Rosenstein said.
At the June hearing, Rosenstein told Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., that he has not seen good cause for firing Mueller.
Later, Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn, again pushed Rosenstein on firing Mueller: “Has President Trump ever communicated with you about removing Robert Mueller?”
“Congressman, I am not going to be discussing my communications with the President […] nobody has communicated to me the desire to remove Robert Mueller,” Rosenstein replied.
