House Oversight Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., dismissed an effort by House conservatives to impeach Deputy Attorney General Rod Rostenstein.
During an interview Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” the South Carolina Republican cast doubt on there being a dedicated “movement” in Congress that could result in the ouster of the Justice Department No. 2 official.
“Are you going to sign on to this effort to impeach Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein that House Republicans are talking about putting forward this week?” asked moderator Margaret Brennan.
“No. Impeach him for what? No,” Gowdy said with a slight chuckle.
“Inappropriate?” Brennan pressed.
“I- I’ve had my differences with Rod Rosenstein. I-I talk to him quite often privately. Which, again, is a lot more constructive than the public hearings we have. He’s a Trump appointee. So is [Attorney General] Jeff Sessions. So is [FBI Director] Chris Wray. If President Trump is dissatisfied with Rod Rosenstein he can fire him with a tweet,” Gowdy said. “But- but- but to impeach someone. I- no. I would not be- I’m not convinced there is a movement. I read about it in Politico and sometimes their sources are better than mine. But- but I’m not part of that.”
WATCH: @TGowdySC slams effort by some House Republicans to #impeach Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. “No. For what? Impeach him for what? No,” he tells @margbrennan https://t.co/HfKjxjiCe8 pic.twitter.com/ZVEWv891t3
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) July 15, 2018
House Freedom Caucus leaders Reps. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., and Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, are reportedly spearheading the effort to impeach Rosenstein, who has oversight of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, and could submit the impeachment filing in the the coming days
The lawmakers, whose planning has occurred for several weeks, have blamed Rosenstein for delaying a probe of FBI agents who they allege have displayed bias against President Trump, according to Politico.
Rosenstein announced on Friday that Mueller indicted 12 Russian officials on charges of hacking Democrats’ computers during the 2016 campaign.
Gowdy, who is not seeking re-election this year and will retire from Congress at the end of this session, broke with Trump, saying during the same interview he does not believe the official investigation of possible campaign collusion with Russia is a “witch hunt.”
