Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein told lawmakers during a pair of closed-door meetings that he stands by his memo that was initially used as the reason for former FBI Director James Comey's firing.

"It is a candid memorandum about the FBI Director's public statements concerning a high-profile criminal investigation," Rosenstein told lawmakers, according to a copy of his opening statement released Friday. "I wrote it. I believe it. I stand by it."

The memo came under criticism after the White House initially pointed to the document as the justification for Comey's firing last week. President Trump later said he would have fired Comey regardless, although on Thursday he again cited the memo as his main reasoning.

ADVERTISEMENT

Rosenstein added during the closed-door meetings that the document "is not a statement of reasons to justify a for-cause termination."

"My memorandum is not a finding of official misconduct; the inspector general will render his judgement about the issue in due course," the No. 2 Justice Department official said.