Rod Rosenstein's comments downplaying the potential impact of foreign government ads come as lawmakers are intently focused on how the Russian government allegedly used social media during the 2016 race. | Andrew Harnik/AP Photo Rosenstein doubts foreign ads would sway American voters Justice Department official overseeing Mueller Trump-Russia probe questions impact of other nations on U.S. elections.

The Justice Department official overseeing special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into possible complicity of President Donald Trump's campaign in Russian efforts to influence last year's election said in an interview released Wednesday that he doubts advertising by foreign countries would affect American voters.

“You know, American citizens are pretty savvy, and they decide who to vote for. I don’t think they’d be influenced by ads posted by foreign governments," Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein told J.J. Green, a national security reporter for WTOP-FM. "I think people are more thoughtful about that in the way that they make their decisions. But nonetheless, you know, if we have foreign countries that are seeking to interfere in our elections, I think we need to take appropriate actions in response.”


Rosenstein's comments downplaying the potential impact of foreign government ads come as lawmakers are intently focused on how the Russian government allegedly used social media during the 2016 race. At least three congressional committees are scheduled to hold hearings next week with executives from tech giants Google, Facebook and Twitter to discuss Russian use of their platforms.

It was not entirely clear from Rosenstein's comments whether he was dismissing the idea that Russian actions taken as a whole affected the election or disputing the notion that ads alone had a significant impact. An intelligence community assessment found no evidence that vote totals were altered by hacking activity, but did not attempt to address indirect effects on the electorate or the political debate.

POLITICO Playbook newsletter Sign up today to receive the #1-rated newsletter in politics Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

In recent weeks, congressional investigators have shifted focus somewhat from social media advertising to so-called organic content — unpaid material posted through ordinary use accounts. Some experts believe such activity may have had more impact than the paid advertising.

A Justice Department spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for clarification of Rosenstein's remarks, which took place as part of Green's "Target USA" podcast.

With Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused from the Russia investigation, Rosenstein is the Justice official in charge of the probe. He also made the decision to shift it to a special counsel and to name Mueller to head the inquiry. Regulations give Mueller considerable independence, but under those rules, major decisions and investigative actions are supposed to be run by Rosenstein in advance.

Investigators and prosecutors are reportedly sifting through various kinds of information, including intercepts conducted pursuant to court orders issued under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Lawmakers have also raised questions about what kinds of evidence the FBI relied upon to seek such warrants.

Rosenstein said in the same interview that he currently spends about 30 minutes a day reviewing requests for such surveillance in the full array of counterintelligence and national security investigations the FBI has underway.

"I typically spend about a half-hour every day meeting with officials from our National Security Division and reviewing proposed FISA applications," he said. "That experience has been very eye-opening for me in terms of the dangers that we face."