Just as the House began voting on the resolution to rebuke Rod Rosenstein, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) blasted the deputy attorney general, accusing him of "keeping information from Congress." House GOP rips Rosenstein to his face It was the culmination of months of intensifying conflict between House Republicans and the Justice Department, which has refused to hand over reams of documents officials say are highly sensitive.

House Republicans on Thursday mounted a multi-front effort to rebuke and embarrass the GOP-led Justice Department, hauling Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein before an "emergency" hearing of the Judiciary Committee just as the House voted to accuse him of flouting congressional document requests.

Face-to-face with Rosenstein and FBI Director Chris Wray, Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte invoked the Church Committee — the 1975 investigation into federal surveillance abuses against figures like Martin Luther King, Jr. — and suggested history was repeating itself in the ongoing investigation into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia on its election interference efforts.


"Here, we now face the same allegations, yet in a manner that goes to the heart of our democracy," said the Virginia Republican. "It is right out of a novel, with salacious, unverified dossiers, reports of informants that appear more like spies for the U.S. government, and application of the aforementioned surveillance powers to collect on a U.S. person once associated with President Trump's political campaign."

"Whatever you got, finish it the hell up," added House Oversight Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.). "This country's being torn apart."

Just as the House began voting on the resolution to rebuke Rosenstein, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) blasted Rosenstein, accusing him of "keeping information from Congress" and prompting a sharp rebuttal from Rosenstein.

"Your use of this to attack me personally is deeply wrong," Rosenstein said emphatically, noting that he's one part of a large team working on congressional document requests, and rejecting the suggestion that he personally screened the information Congress had demanded. "If you're interested in the truth ... we have a team of folks who are Trump appointees."

Jordan also grilled Rosenstein on recent media reports in which anonymous House Intelligence Committee Republican staffers accused Rosenstein of threatening them with subpoenas in retaliation for their aggressive document requests about the Russia probe.

Rosenstein urged Jordan to dismiss the media accounts. "I’m telling the truth and I’m under oath," he said.

But Jordan shot back: "What’s so darn important that you will threaten members?"

Shortly after the exchange, the House passed the resolution by a 226-183 vote that split along party lines.

The measure, which is nonbinding, accuses Rosenstein of bucking congressional demands for documents connected to the Russia probe and calls for the Justice Department to comply with subpoenas issued by the Judiciary and Intelligence committees by July 6. President Donald Trump's congressional allies have suggested that failure to do so could lead to holding Rosenstein in contempt or even seeking his impeachment.

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The hearing with Rosenstein and Wray was the culmination of months of intensifying conflict between House Republicans and leaders of the Trump Justice Department, who have refused even under pressure from the president to hand over reams of documents they say are highly sensitive.

Rosenstein insisted in remarks to the committee that the Justice Department had been working doggedly to share documents with Congress, emphasizing the volume of requests and the staff resources he has devoted to fulfilling them.

“Real work is not done on television,” he said. “Trump administration officials are meeting and talking with your staff every day.”

Rosenstein also fended off pointed inquiries from Reps. Matt Gaetz and Ron DeSantis, a pair of Florida Republicans who pressed the DOJ leader for classified details on the FBI's use of informants to contact Trump campaign aides about their contacts with Russia — an investigative tactic that law enforcement officials describe as routine, but that Trump has decried as the FBI planting spies in his campaign. The lawmaker duo also pressed Rosenstein for information about his role in signing off on surveillance warrants submitted by the FBI as part of its probe into potential coordination between the Trump camp and Russia.

Democrats have aligned with Rosenstein and Wray to argue that Republicans are seeking unprecedented access to information in order to undermine special counsel Robert Mueller as his probe presents increasing peril to the president and his inner circle.

"Republicans are requesting documents they know they cannot have," said Rep. Jerrold Nadler, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee.

The divisions got contentious several times throughout the hearing, with Democrats regularly interjecting their Republican counterparts' longer rants about the Mueller probe and DOJ misbehavior.

"We can go to Mr. Jordan’s press conference and listen to him," sniped Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), urging Jordan to let Rosenstein respond to his barbs.

Republicans have demanded access to 1.2 million documents connected to a recent inspector general report that found “potential bias” among a handful of senior FBI officials connected to the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s private email server, though the report found no evidence the officials' political views skewed the probe.

The report also accused former FBI Director James Comey of insubordination in his decisions to publicly announce the FBI would not recommend charges against Clinton — but harshly criticize her in the process — and again to announce the reopening of the probe right before the 2016 election. The report did not consider the Russia probe.

The report also uncovered anti-Trump texts from an FBI agent, Peter Strzok, who helped launch the bureau's investigation into the Trump campaign and who later worked briefly on Mueller's team before being dismissed after the texts came to light. The IG is still investigating whether Strzok's opinions influenced his work on the Trump-Russia probe.

Under the resolution that passed the House Thursday, Republicans are demanding that the Justice Department fulfill demands for documents connected to the FBI’s use in its Russia probe of a sensitive surveillance program, known as FISA, to monitor a former Trump campaign aide, Carter Page. It also demands documents related to the FBI’s use of “confidential human sources” to interact with Trump campaign officials and on potential surveillance of Clinton Foundation-connected individuals.

“[T]he Department of Justice has missed document production deadlines, produced duplicative pages of information, and redacted pages to the point where they contain no probative information,” the resolution reads.

Top Democrats in the House and Senate sought to buttress Rosenstein and Wray, urging them in a letter to refuse Republican pressure to share information with Congress that could jeopardize the Mueller investigation.

"With every disclosure, DOJ and FBI are reinforcing a precedent it will have to uphold, whether the Congress is in Republican or Democratic hands, of providing materials in pending or closed cases to the legislative branch upon request,” the lawmakers wrote. “As the attacks on the Special Counsel intensify, it is imperative that you withstand pressure on DOJ and FBI to violate established procedures and norms."

The letter was signed by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, as well as Rep. Adam Schiff and Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrats on their respective intelligence committees.

Stephanie Murray contributed reporting.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly described the findings of the inspector general report. The inspector general found “potential bias” by several officials involved in the Clinton investigation.