Democrats who want an investigation of accusations that President Donald Trump groped and harassed women forced deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein to listen to a long list of graphic descriptions of conduct women say Trump undertook.
‘I’d like to ask you about sexual assault by the President of the United States of America,’ said Democratic Rep. Luis Gutierrez of Illionis asked Rosenstein during a House Judiciary Committee hearing.
Three of Trump’s accusers have called for a congressional investigation, which appears highly unlikely in the Republican Congress.
That didn’t prevent lawmakers from asking Rosenstein whether the women could get the FBI to probe the president’s treatment of women – or from reading the accusations aloud during a televised hearing.
‘At least 16 women have come forward to say that the president of the United States felt them up, kissed them without permission, put his hands under their clothing without permission, groped them, touched their genitalia, walked into dressing rooms unannounced to see them naked, and made other unwanted sexual advances that every one are clear violations of the law,’ said Gutierrez.
THIS COULD GET AWKWARD: Lawmakers asked Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein whether FBI agents could investigate President Donald Trump’s past alleged treatment of women – then read him descriptions of what accusers say happened
Then, as a stone-faced Rosenstein looked on, the retiring Gutierrez read quotations from a sampling of Trump’s accusers.
Gutierrez quoted Kristen Anderson referencing how: ‘The person on their right who unbeknownst to me was Donald Trump, put their hand up my skirt. He then touched my vagina through my underwear.’
He also read from Jill Harth, who said, ‘He groped me, he absolutely groped me and he just slipped his hand there touching my private parts.’
Then he read from Cassandra Searles, who said ‘he continually groped my ass and invited me to his hotel room.’
‘These are very serious allegations of crimes committed by the president, are they not,’ he asked, without waiting for an answer.
President Trump and the White House have denied all the charges.
Rep. Luis Gutierrez of Illinois read statements by some of President Donald Trump’s 16 female accusers at a House Judiciary hearing
Then he brought up Samantha Holvey, a former Miss USA pageant who says Trump ogled her in a pageant dressing room. She was among three accusers calling for Congress to look into the president’s alleged treatment of women.
He read back Trump’s quote to Howard Stern on his radio show that ‘I’m allowed to go in because I’m the owner’ during pageants and that ‘the chicks will be almost naked.’
NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 11: Samantha Holvey speaks during the press conference held by women accusing Trump of sexual harassment in NYC on December 11, 2017 in New York City. She asked for a congressional investigation of Trump
Miss Washington USA 2013 Cassandra Searles is introduced during the 2013 Miss USA pageant at PH Live at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on June 16, 2013 in Las Vegas
The lawmaker quoted Kristen Anderson saying Trump put his ‘hand up my skirt’
About the only time he censored himself was when he read Trump’s quotes from the infamous ‘p****’ tape’.
‘Would it be appropriate for you to investigate these and other allegations of assault and unwanted sexual advances by the president of the United States?’ Gutierrez asked.
Rosenstein repeated an earlier answer that the people are welcome to go to the FBI if they believe a crime has been committed.
‘I would invite you to submit the evidence and the department will review it if you believe there’s a federal crime … and that’s all I have to say about that,’ said Rosenstein, eager to move on, at an appearance where he also got probed about private explosive texts between two FBI agents who had been working on the Mueller probe.
Joining the effort was Texas Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee.
‘What intentions does the Department of Justice have to allow these women, who are accusing the president of sexual misconduct and have never been heard in terms of a public setting,’ she said.
‘What does the Department of Justice intend to do in light of the fact that the president is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States of America?’ she asked.
Rosenstein responded that, ‘I don’t think I have any position on that congresswomen, he said. ‘If they file a lawsuit, they’re free to do so, it would be a Department matter.’
Then he added, ‘“If there’s anything that warrants federal investigation then we would certainly look at it,’ he added the DailyCaller reported.
It is doubtful committee members haven’t heard explicit language before: As Gutierrez noted, two members of the panel quit Congress just last week ‘because women came forward and made credible claims.’
L-R) Rachel Crooks, a former receptionist in Trump Tower in 2005, Jessica Leeds and Samantha Holvey, a former Miss North Carolina, attend a news conference for the film “16 Women and Donald Trump” which focuses on women who have publicly accused President Trump of sexual misconduct, in Manhattan
‘The person on their right who unbeknownst to me was Donald Trump, put their hand up my skirt. He then touched my vagina through my underwear,’ said Rep. Gutierrez, reading from an account by accuser Kristen Anderson
One of them was Democratic Rep. John Conyers, 88, the most senior member of the House, who had his office budget pay a woman who charged him with harassment, which he denied. The other was Republican Trent Franks of Arizona, who resigned suddenly Friday after it was revealed he asked female staffers to be surrogates to help him have a child.
‘And others on this dais right now are among the additional members of the body who are accused, creditably accused of misconduct,’ Gutierrez added, in reference to Texas Republican Rep. Blake Fahrenthold, who paid his former communications director $84,000 after she accused him of harassment.
Meanwhile, Republicans grilled top Justice Department official Rod Rosenstein about the FBI hours after the release of private emails where a top investigator called then-candidate Donald Trump ‘awful.’
Republican Judiciary chairman Robert Goodlatte of Virginia called reports of ‘political predisposition and potential bias’ on Mueller’s team ”deeply troubling to all citizens who expect a system of blind and equal justice.’
Rosenstein said he was ‘not aware of any impropriety’ on Mueller’s team.
‘DOJ investigations must not be tainted by individuals imposing their own political prejudices. We are now beginning to better understand the magnitude of this insider bias on Mr. Mueller’s team,’ he said.
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein arrives to testify before a House Committee on the Judiciary oversight hearing on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2017 in Washington
Republican lawmakers pounded on newly-revealed private texts between top FBI investigator Peter Strzok and FBI lawyer Lisa Page, who exchanged private texts where they blasted Donald Trump during the primaries.
‘This is disgusting unaccountable bias and there’s no way that could not affect a person’s work,’ said Texas Republican Rep. Louis Gohmert.
‘Were you aware of just how biased Mr. Strzok was?’ he asked Rosenstein.
‘No I was not,’ he replied.
Goodlatte continued: ‘First, we have FBI agent Peter Strzok and FBI lawyer Lisa Page exchanging communications showing extreme bias against President Trump, a fact that would be bad enough if it weren’t for the fact that these two individuals were employed as part of the Mueller ‘dream team’ investigating the very person for whom they were showing disdain,’ Goodlatte said.
‘And calling it mere ‘disdain’ is generous,’ he fumed in his opening statement.
‘According to the documents produced last night to this Committee, Mr. Strzok and Ms. Page referred to the President as ‘an utter idiot,’ ‘a loathsome human,’ and ‘awful,’ while continually praising Hillary Clinton and the Obamas.’
‘These text messages prove what we all suspected: high-ranking FBI officials involved in the Clinton investigation were personally invested in the outcome of the election, and clearly let their strong political opinions cloud their professional judgment. And this was only an ‘initial disclosure,’ containing heavy redactions.’
But Rosenstein, under questioning by Rep. Jerold Nadler of New York, acknowledged that he has seen a good cause reason to fire special counsel Robert Mueller.
Mueller reassigned Strzok after learning of the texts.
Republicans grilled Rosenstein on private texts by some of his investigators that were highly critical of Donald Trump
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., left, shakes hands with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, right, as he arrives to testify before a House Committee on the Judiciary oversight hearing on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2017 in Washington
‘I would follow the regulation if there were good cause,’ he said, asked if he would fire Mueller if the president ordered him to.
Nadler, the new ranking member after the resignation of Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, said he reviewed the texts, which he said expressed ‘private political views’ that are allowable.
‘Peter Strzok did not say anything about Donald Trump that the majority of Americans weren’t also thinking at the same time,’ Nadler said.
And he rejected growing GOP calls to have a new special counsel investigate Mueller.
‘I understand the instinct to want to change the subject after the Flynn and Manafort indictments, but this request is grossly misguided,’ he said, in reference to Mike Flynn and Paul Manafort, two former top Trump advisors.
After reciting Mueller’s accomplishments, from Marine service to serving as a prosecutor and running the FBI, he called him an ‘ideal choice’ for the role of special counsel.
Republican Rep. Steve Chabot of Ohio ran through the political contributions to Democrats by many of Mueller’s top investigators.
FBI agent Peter Strzok (left) and senior FBI lawyer Lisa Page (right) who were having an affair, shared more than 10,000 texts in 2016 discussing the future president and their hopes he would lose the election
THIS SHOULD BE FUN: Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein prepares to testify before a full committee hearing on oversight of the Justice Department’s investigation of Russia’s interference in the 2016 US presidential election
‘How with a straight face can you say that this group of Democrat partisans are unbiased and will give President Trump a fair shake?’ he asked.
Rosenstein responded: ‘We recognize we have employees with political opinions. It is our responsibility to make sure those opinions do not influence their actions. I believe that Dir. Mueller understands that. He is running that office appropriately.’
Two high ranking FBI officials involved in Robert Mueller’s Russian probe exchanged text messages calling Donald Trump ‘an idiot’.
FBI agent Peter Strzok and senior FBI lawyer Lisa Page, who were having an affair, shared more than 10,000 texts in 2016 discussing the future president.
In one of the texts, Page wrote Strzok: ‘Maybe you’re meant to stay where you are because you are meant to protect the country from that menace,’ in reference to Trump.
During their exchanges, they described Trump as an ‘idiot’ and a ‘loathsome human’ and shared their hopes that Hillary Clinton should win the election, the Washington Post reported.
Special Counsel Mueller removed Strzok from the investigation into collusion between Trump’s administration and Russia during the 2016 election, after the messages revealing anti-Trump sentiment first emerged in July.
Page had already ended her assignment to Mueller’s office.
The pair’s texts are now under investigation by the Justice Department’s inspector general.
Both Strzok and Page were key players in the investigation into Clinton’s use of a private email server as well as the Russian probe. They’d been involved in an extra martial affair during the Clinton investigation.
The texts date back to 2015, shortly after Trump announced his plans to run for president, when Strzok texted that Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders was ‘an idiot like Trump.
During their exchanges, they described Trump (pictured) as an ‘idiot’ and a ‘loathsome human’ and shared their hopes that Hillary Clinton should win the election
Special Counsel Mueller (pictured, front) removed Strzok from the investigation after the messages revealing anti-Trump sentiment first emerged in July.
‘Figure they cancel each other out.’
The following year, on March 4, 2016, Page, sent a text to Strzok saying: ‘God, Trump is a loathsome human… omg he’s an idiot.’
‘He’s awful,’ Strzok replied. ‘Yet he may win’ (the Republican nomination), he said, adding that could be ‘Good for Hillary.’
Strzok later added that Hillary ‘should win 100,000,000-0.’
‘Also did you hear [Trump] make a comment about the size of his d*ck earlier? This man can not be president,’ Page said later that same evening, according to Politico.
On March 16, 2016, Page texted Strzok: ‘I can not believe Donald Trump is likely to be an actual, serious candidate for president.’
In April, they seemed to become a little nervous of their anti-Trump rants.
Page texted: ‘So look, you say we text on that phone when we talk about Hillary because it can’t be traced, you were just venting bc you feel bad that you’re gone so much but it can’t be helped right now.’
The texts also showed that the pair were horrified at the idea then-Sen. Jeff Sessions might be nominated as attorney general.
The messages were uncovered by the Justice Department during an investigation into potential political influence on the Clinton emails and Russian probes.
While many have argued that the comments were simply discussion between the pair, any suggestion that investigators may have been biased against Trump will fuel calls by Republicans for second special counsel to investigate Mueller’s operation.