Rep. Darrell Issa said Friday Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein gave no indication that anyone directed him to write the memo regarding former FBI Director James Comey’s dismissal.
Mr. Issa spoke to reporters after House members were briefed by Mr. Rosenstein on the status of the Russia investigation and the role a special prosecutor will play moving forward.
“I do not believe he in any way indicated that anyone directed him,” said Mr. Issa, adding that there is “nothing unusual” about a memo being written in this case and that lawyers write memos in investigations like this all the time.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Mr. Rosenstein disputed the claim that Mr. Comey had asked for more resources in the Russia case the day before being fired.
Mr. McCarthy told reporters, “He has no evidence that Comey asked for any further resources, that all the resources were there.”
But Mr. Issa did say there is “great consensus” between Democrats and Republicans that the Russians need to be punished for interfering the U.S. presidential election in November.
“I do believe that there was great consensus that going after the Russians for interfering with our election is a nonpartisan or bipartisan issue, one that both sides need to get resolved before the next election, not only as to what they did, but how they did it,” Mr. Issa said.
The California Democrat did say, however, that Congress will want some oversight as the probe continues.
“Congress is going to want to look over the shoulder of this investigation,” he said. “It will also want to be briefed.
“There’s appropriate discovery and oversight,” Mr. Issa said. “The speaker, I’m comfortable, will insisted on that. But there’s that normal tension that has to be respected.”
• Sally Persons can be reached at spersons@washingtontimes.com.
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