Whether there are grounds for a Criminal Investigation or an ethics investigation against the president of is the United States of america. For example, Rachel Crooks is one of the 16 women that we know of who have come forward. She said that President Trump, before he was president , quote, kissed me directly on the mouth. It was so inappropriate that he thought i was so insignificant he could do that. Jo hart, said he absolutely groped me, and he just lipid his hand there touching my private parts, end quote. These are just two examples of unwelcome sexual advances. I think were he on the subway or in a restaurant would not either or both of these incident be enough to get him arrested . In your experience as the number two most important Law Enforcement officer in the United States, but before you answer that, how about these cases . Kristin anderson in an interview said, quote, the person on my right who unbeknownst to me at the time was donald trump, put their hand up my skirt. He did touch my have aina through my underwear, end quote. Cassandra said he continually groped my ass and invited me to his hotel room. End quote. These are very serious allegations of crimes committed by the president , are they not . Before you answer the question, i think its important to point out that these stories are corroborated by one of the most important witnesses of all the president himself corroborates this. He told tv host billy bush when he was miked up for an interview with interat the same time tonight i just start kissing them. Its like a magnet, and when youre a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab them by and you know what he said. You can do anything, end quote. Samantha hovley said on National Television when he was a contestant, trump would come back unannounced to the dressing room. She tells her story and once again, we have audiotape of the president corroborating this account when he told howard stern well, quote, ill tell you the funniest is before a show, ill go backstage and everyones getting dressed and everything else, and you know, no men are anywhere, but im allow to do go in, because im the owner. He went on to say the chicks will be almost naked, end quote. Mr. Rosenstein, i value your opinion on this. Would it be appropriate to evaluate these investigations by the president of the United States . Congressman, i am happy to take any questions regarding oversite of the Department Of Justice. With regard to that matter or any other allegation that you think, i would invite you to
submit the evidence and the department will review it if you believe theres a federal crime. That applies to any alleged violation by any person. Thats all i have to say about that. But youre the number two top Law Enforcement officer in the nation. Let me ask you if a person on a train went and kissed a woman, is that a crime. If its a federal train, it might be a federal crime. Its am track. It wouldnt be appropriate to me to answer hypotheticals. As the number two Law Enforcement officer, you dont think its a crime for a woman to be on a train and be in a Restaurant Sitting and a stranger, Unwanted Stripinger would come up to her and grope her and kiss her, that thats not a crime. The time of the gentleman has spired. The witness may answer the question. I would have to know the facts and evaluate a law. Ive never prosecuted a case
i have ultimate respect for them. They helped me in many cases. I would like you to clarify a procedure. Tell me if im right here. Special counsel is appointed by the Attorney General, or under the circumstances by you, and thats Special Counsel reports to you. Correct. Am i correct in saying an independent counsel is appointed again by the attorney or you, but that counsel is independent and does not report to anyone in the essence of can i do a, bo. C . Is that. Under the statute that lapsed in 1999, the appointment would be made by a federal judge. So there would be no role for the department in the selection or oversite. Doj wouldnt be involved at all . Correct. Ive been in many interviews involving many cases. What ive seen handled was above board, but would you explain to the committee what a 302 is . Yes, a 302 is simply the form newspaper better for an fbi interview report. After conducting a witness interview, its a summary of the interview and we refer it to that as a form 302. An interview, whether its done by an investigators or attorney, or back in my district in pennsylvania, is there usually an Assistant Attorney present in those interviews . We should not give immunity just because somebody asks for it. Thats all i have. Thank you. I know youll keep an eye on things and keep everything aboveboard. Its a pleasure to see you again. Likewise. Thank you. I yield back. The chair recognizes the gentleman from florida, in deutsche. Thank you for being here. Theres been a lot of dates and timelines. I would like to walk through for the benefit of my colleagues, just a short timeline from this year. In january it was concluded we asocieties Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign, the goals to undermined public faith in the democratic progress, den gait Secretary Clinton. We fur asset that the russian government developed a clear preference for donald trump. Has he given any reason to dispute that . Hired the head of the fbi called him a nut job and said, i face great pressure because of russia. Thats taken off. On may 11th the president told nbc news the russia thing is a madeup store. On june 7th we learned President Trump urged comey to drop the investigation. There was an undisclosed meeting with donald trump junior and rush sources. Five days after that, a veteran of the Russian Military we learned also attempt eed attend that meeting. On october the 5th, george pap
do th p between in a state of offense, we learned that he reached out regarding his connections that he could help arrange a meeting between trump and putin. On october 27th, former Trump Campaign chairman paul man a fort and rick gates were indicted on multiple counts including conspiracy against the United States. In november the president of the United States met with Vladimir Putin said, and i quote, he said he didnt meddle. I asked him again. You can ask only so many times. Every 250i78 he sees me he said i didnt do that, when he tells me that, he means it. The president went on to say, give me a break, talking about the National Security folks who put together that report that i quoted earlier. Give me a break, they are political hacks. On december 1st mike flynn pleaded guilty to one count in making a false statement to the fbi about conversations he with had the russian ambassador. This is a little walkthrough of what happened over the past
year. I would like to ask you, mr. Rosenste rosenstein, id like to quote some of my colleagues. One of them said the Special Counsels investigation into whether the Trump Campaign assisted in its effort to interfere in the election is an attempt to overthrow the government. Do you believe that, mr. Rosenstein . No. He said were at risk of a could y coup detat. There is an oversight. And if we allow an unaccountable person to undermine the duly elected person of the United States, is pursuing a rule of law undermining the duly elected president of the United States . No, it is not. One of my orel colleagues said weve got to clean this town up. He talked about firing mueller. One of our formers colleagues accused mueller of having a vendetta. Mr. Rosenstein, do you believe
he has a vendetta against the president . No, i do not. I would just conclude this walkthrough, this one year in american history, makes it impossible to understand how it is my colleagues on the other side continue to launch attacks not only against reporters, against the fbi, against the Special Counsel, but they do so to throw dirt on the story, to make it try to go away. They may want to bury their heads in the stand, about mr. Chairman, i want to make clear they will not bury the rule of law in the United States. I yield back. There is a lot of issue issue to talk about, the authorization is pending in congress on gun violence, the opioid, criminal justice reform. When i go home to South Carolina this weekend, true me no one will tell me about any of these issues. They will ask me what in the hell is going a with the Department Of Justice and the fbi. The reason we have Special Counsel, and you know it. The reason we have Special Counsel is because of a Conflict Of Interest. The regulation itself makes specifically reference to a Conflict Of Interest. We dont like conflicts, because it undercoat peoples confidence in the process and the result. So lets be clear why we have Special Counsel. There was either a real or perceived Conflict Of Interest that we are fearful would either impact 9 result or peoples confident in the process. Thats why we have something called Special Counsel, and that is why we have Special Counsel in this fact pattern. Then lo and behohn, those who are supposed to make sure there are no Conflict Of Interest seem
to have a few of their own. Theres a senior prosecutor who sent obsequious emails to a fact witness. She can be described as nothing other than a fact witness. They got off the collusion, she may be the most important fact witne witness. Then we have prosecutors assigned to. Then attended what he hoped to be a Victory Pattern for Hillary Clinton. We have a senior doj official with an office that used to be two doors down with yours, meeting with fusion gps, and of Course Fusion Gps was paying for russian dirt on the very person theyre supposed to be objectively investigating. Then that same senior doj officials wife, the one that met with fusion gps, his wife was on the payroll of fusion gps. Then we have a senior investigators assigned to help draft the Exoneration Letter when we changed the letter to extremely careless . Interviewed Secretary Clinton in an interview i have never seen. I doubt you have either in your career as a prosecutos interviewed mike at flynn, actively involved in the investigation into the trump
campaign before the Inspector General found his text. So this agent in the middle of almost everybody, sent proclinton texts, antitrump texts to his paramour. He said i can protect the condition at many levels. He said Hillary Clinton should win 100 million to nothing. Think about that mr. Deputy Attorney General, thats a pretty overwhelming victory. 100 million to 0. When i read that last night, what i thought was this Conflict Of Interestfree senior agent of the fbi cant think of a single Solitary American who would vote for donald trump. Thats where the zero comes in. Not a single Solitary American he can imagine would vote for donald trump. This is the conflict of
interestfree Special Agent assigned. Then he went on, if that werent enough, to bealso Trump Supporters by say he could smell them at a walmart in virginia. Then he said this. They fully deserve to go and demonstrate the absolute bigoted nonsense of trump. But He Wasnt Content to Just Disparage donald trump. He to disparage Donald Trumps family. This is what he said, mr. Deputy Attorney General. The douche bags are about to come out, talking about his first lady and children. This Conflict Of Interestfree Special Agent of the fbi. This is who we were told we needed to have an objective, impartial, fair, Conflict Of Interest free agent. Hes open i vitting a candidate
he has bias against. If thats not enough, he says trump is an fing idiot. What the f just happened to our country. This is the same man who said he would save our country. What happens when people who are supposed to cure the Conflict Of Interest have even greater conflicts of interest than those they replace . You nor i nor anyone else would ever sit piaeter strzok on a ju knowing what we know now. Why my final question to you, and i pressure the chairmans patience. How would you help me answer that question when i go back to South Carolina this weekend . Congressman, first of all, with regard to do specialty counsel, mr. Strzok was already working on the investigation when the Special Counselappointed. The appointment i made was to rob mueller, so i recommend you tell your constituents that rob mueller, Rod Rosenstein and chris wray are accountable, and well make sure that theres no bias within any matter of the jurisdiction of the Justice Department. When we have any evidence of inappropriate conduct, well take action. Thats what mr. Mueller did as soon as he learned about the issue. I anticipate thats the rest of our prosecute owes, our new group of u. S. Attorneys, Justice Department appointees, they understand the rules and they understand the responsibility to defend the integrity of the department congressman, that is the beassurance i can give you, but theres one other point. You should tell your constituents that we exposed this issue because were ensuring that the Inspector General conducts a thorough and effective investigation, and if
there is any evidence of broke prity, hes going to surface it and report about it publicly. Ill try. The chairman h. Thank you mr. Rosenstein. In february the Department Of Justice changed its litigation position. The texas photo i. D. Case. Did you have any involvement in the decision to reverse the that the texas voter i. D. Law was intentional and indiscriminato indiscriminatory. I did not. In uthe Department Of Justice changed its position, now defending ohios Voter Purging Law, were you involved in the decision to change this position and now side with the Voter Purging Law . I was at the department at that time, but i dont believe i have any involvement in the decision. Were you involved in the decision to file an amicus brief in the cake shows versus colorado. That decision was made by our Inspector Quenelle pardon me, our solicitor general. You described the Special Counsel as a her heroic figure served his country confirmed Eye Nan Mussily assed fbi director. I take it your judgment on mr. Pluler has not changed today. Correct. You would not have appointed mr. Mueller if you thought he was going to engage in a witchhunt, correct . Correct. So you then would disagree with the president s labeling of the Special Counsels investigation as a witchhunt, i assume . I dont know exactly what the president meant by that, congressman. The Special Counsels investigation is not a witchhunt. Youre supposed to be independent. You can answer a question contrasting the president. You disagree its a witchhunt, the president is wrong. I do not know what the president meant. I can only answer for plyself. Do you believe that the repeated
attacks on mueller threatens to undermine the credibility of the independent investigation . The independence and integrity of the investigation will not be affected by anything that anybody says. You delivered remarks on october 25th before the u. S. Chamber of commerce and i quote if we permit the rule of law to erode when it does not harm our personal interest, it may eventually consume us as well. The rule of law is not selfexecuting. If it collapses, if people lose faith, then everyone will suffer, end quote. In the context of the president s attacks, the American People are really witness i witnessing an unprecedented attack. Under wa