Republicans call off bid to impeach Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein

House Speaker Paul Ryan blasted as ‘cavalier’ a conservative effort to impeach Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, and drafters backed off an effort to try to force an immediate floor vote on his removal.

The immediate effect was to derail an effort to go after the man overseeing the Russia probe, days after President Donald Trump got hammered by Republicans for his embrace of Russian President Vladimir Putin at their Helsinki summit.

‘I don’t think we should be cavalier with this process or with this term,’ Ryan said on Thursday, a day after 11 lawmakers introduced articles of impeachment against Rosenstein for what would have been a historic rebuke of an unelected administration official.  

Eleven House Republicans have introduced articles of impeachment against Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein

‘I don’t think that this rises to the level of high crimes and misdemeanors,’ said Ryan, referencing the Constitution’s definition of an impeachable offense.

He called it ‘really high standard. … Since I got involved, [we] have been getting a lot of compliance from [the Justice Department] on the document request. We do not have full compliance, and we have to get full compliance, but we’ve been making tremendous progress to that point,’ Ryan said.

The effort would have been doomed to fail – requiring a two-thirds vote to prevail in the Senate. 

He was referencing repeated requests by Republicans to demand documents from the Justice Department about the Clinton and Russia probes – requests Democratic critics say are meant to secure documents that Trump and his allies can use to muddy the Russia probe. 

House Speaker Paul Ryan poured cold water on the idea of impeaching Rosenstein, saying we shouldn't be 'cavalier with this process'

House Speaker Paul Ryan poured cold water on the idea of impeaching Rosenstein, saying we shouldn’t be ‘cavalier with this process’

Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who is running for Speaker, is among those backing the impeach-Rosenstein effort

Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who is running for Speaker, is among those backing the impeach-Rosenstein effort

Prominent backers of the effort include Freedom Caucus chair Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina (above) and Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, who announced his run for House speaker Thursday

Prominent backers of the effort include Freedom Caucus chair Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina (above) and Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, who announced his run for House speaker Thursday

Attorney General Jeff Sessions defended Rosenstein in public remarks Thursday

Attorney General Jeff Sessions defended Rosenstein in public remarks Thursday

Prominent backers of the effort include Freedom Caucus chair Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina and Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, who announced his run for House speaker Thursday.

House leaders including Majority Whip Steve Scalise were seen negotiating with the members in the House on Thursday, as the effort appeared to fizzle. The lawmakers decided not to offer a ‘privileged’ resolution that would get an immediate vote, and would have put Republicans on record as voting in a way Democrats were already casting as a vote to stifle the Russia probe.

‘All of that came to an agreement where we felt like not doing a privileged motion today would be most prudent … and yet brings us all together the first week in September if they do not comply,’ Meadows said, CNN reported.

He said Ryan is willing to support a contempt process ‘if the agreed upon documents are not delivered.’ Republicans are demanding Rosenstein turn over more documents and un-redact portions of others. He has already overseen the transfer of 800,000 documents.

Former deputy attorney general Sally Yates, who was fired by Trump, wrote on Twitter: ‘While the absurd threat to impeach Rod Rosenstein will undoubtedly fail, using the Department of Justice as a prop for political theater does lasting damage to this vital democratic institution. The men and women of DOJ and the people of our country deserve better.’

Eleven House Republicans introduced articles of impeachment against Rosenstein.

Rosenstein oversees special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference and President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign.

It is unclear whether there will be enough support in the party to pass it, as Republican leaders have not signed on to the effort. 

The articles were introduced by North Carolina Rep Mark Meadows and Ohio Rep Jim Jordan, staunch allies of Donald Trump who have supported his criticism of the Justice Department. 

They claim Rosenstein is not being responsive enough in their requests for documents related to the Russia investigation, as well as a closed investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails.

Rosenstein’s critics are also angered that he has not appointed a second special counsel to review how the FBI has handled the Russia investigation or shared a memo outlining Mueller’s investigation, according to Politico.   

A request for the latter was denied by the Justice Department, which said it would impede the ongoing investigation.   

The introduction does not trigger an immediate vote, but Meadows and Jordan could make procedural moves on the House floor to force a vote late this week. 

They could also wait until the House returns from its upcoming five-week recess, which begins on Thursday, in September.   

Their move came two hours after GOP lawmakers met with Justice Department officials who have been working to provide documents to several congressional committees about decisions made during the 2016 presidential campaign.

‘The DOJ is keeping information from Congress. Enough is enough,’ Jordan said in a statement on Wednesday. 

‘It’s time to hold Mr Rosenstein accountable for blocking Congress’s constitutional oversight role.’ 

The articles were introduced by North Carolina Rep Mark Meadows and Ohio Rep Jim Jordan (pictured), who are outspoken supporters of President Donald Trump 

The articles were introduced by North Carolina Rep Mark Meadows and Ohio Rep Jim Jordan (pictured), who are outspoken supporters of President Donald Trump 

Meadows (pictured) and Jordan have supported Trump's criticism of the Justice Department

Meadows (pictured) and Jordan have supported Trump’s criticism of the Justice Department

The Justice Department has provided lawmakers with more than 800,000 documents connected to the investigation into Clinton’s emails.  

But Meadows claimed after the meeting that there was still ‘frustration’ with how Rosenstein has handled the oversight requests. 

He said Rosenstein has ‘made every effort to obstruct legitimate attempts of congressional oversight’ since taking charge of the Department of Justice.

‘It’s time to find a new deputy attorney general who is serious about accountability and transparency,’ he added.  

Republican leaders, however, have said in recent weeks that they are satisfied with the Justice Department’s progress. 

It is unclear whether there will be enough support in the party to pass it, as Republican leaders like Paul Ryan have not signed on to the effort

It is unclear whether there will be enough support in the party to pass it, as Republican leaders like Paul Ryan have not signed on to the effort

House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Trey Gowdy said after the meeting that he was pleased with the department’s efforts and wouldn’t support Rosenstein’s impeachment. 

House Speaker Paul Ryan has also said he is satisfied with progress on the document production and has previously rejected calls for Rosenstein’s impeachment. 

On Tuesday the congressman’s aides told Politico that his position has not changed and he has not endorsed efforts to impeach Rosenstein. 

But some Rosenstein critics have said they hope just the act of introducing articles of impeachment could lead to Trump firing the Deputy Attorney General himself.

‘We were just kind of hoping somebody else would do it first, either Jeff Sessions or the president,’ Texas Rep Louie Gohmert said in a recent interview.   

Arizona Reps Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar, Pennsylvania Rep Scott Perry, Georgia Rep Jody Hice, Florida Rep Matt Gaetz, and Tennessee Rep Scott DesJarlais have all signed on as co-sponsors.   

Democrats have criticized Republican efforts to pressure the Justice Department in recent months, saying they are attempts to undermine Mueller’s investigation. 



Read more at DailyMail.co.uk