Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein declared in a speech Thursday that “today, our nation is safer, elections are more secure, and citizens are better informed about covert foreign influence schemes.” | Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images Legal Rosenstein defends Russia investigation, takes shots at Obama administration

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein on Thursday teed off on the Obama administration’s handling of Russian election interference and hit back at critics of the Russia probe in his first public remarks since special counsel Robert Mueller’s report dropped last week.

Speaking at the Public Servants Dinner of the Armenian Bar Association, Rosenstein said he and other top Justice Department officials went above and beyond their responsibilities when it came to the investigation.


Rosenstein cited a line of questioning he faced at his confirmation hearing in 2017, before he officially took on the investigation, pointing out that he made no promises once it had concluded “to report all results to the public, because grand jury investigations are ex parte proceedings.”

He also defended the outcome of the probe, pointing to how it "does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.”

“It is not our job to render conclusive factual findings. We just decide whether it is appropriate to file criminal charges,” Rosenstein said, in what also could have been taken as a swipe at those who have insisted Mueller was wrong not to bring charges against the president. Trump's defenders have criticized Mueller for trying to "prove a negative" on obstruction of justice.

He then chastised “critical decisions” he said had been made about the investigation before he arrived by the Obama administration and then-FBI director James Comey, including not divulging more about Russia’s meddling. He compared the atmosphere of his time as DOJ’s No. 2 to a parable about a man who laid down on a burning bed.

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.

“The previous administration chose not to publicize the full story about Russian computer hackers and social media trolls, and how they relate to a broader strategy to undermine America,” he said. “The FBI disclosed classified evidence about the investigation to ranking legislators and their staffers. Someone selectively leaked details to the news media. The FBI director announced at a congressional hearing that there was a counterintelligence investigation that might result in criminal charges. Then the former FBI director alleged that the President pressured him to close the investigation, and the President denied that the conversation occurred. So that happened.”

Still, he defended the investigation and its findings in his speech, as well as DOJ’s dedication to the rule of law and staying above the fray of partisanship, declaring that “today, our nation is safer, elections are more secure, and citizens are better informed about covert foreign influence schemes.”

But, he acknowledged, “not everybody was happy with my decision, in case you did not notice.”

Rosenstein blasted “mercenary critics” who “express passionate opinions about any topic, often with little or no information” and “launch ad hominem attacks unrestricted by truth or morality,” as well as the press and Congress.

“Some of the nonsense that passes for breaking news today would not be worth the paper it was printed on, if anybody bothered to print it,” he said, noting that his recent experiences dealing with Congress and the media were starkly different than the court environment he was accustomed to.

“The difference is in the standard of proof. In my business, we need to prove facts with credible evidence, prove them beyond any reasonable doubt, and prove them to the unanimous satisfaction of a neutral judge and an unbiased jury of 12 random citizens,” Rosenstein said, comparing it to politics and the journalism where he asserted “belief is the whole ball game.”

