Highly placed congressional sources are telling Fox News personalities off the record that last month, out of frustration, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein threatened to subpoena the communication records of Republican members of the House Intelligence Committee. If true, the threat could constitute an abuse of power or even obstruction, a Fox News legal analyst says.
On Fox Business’ “Making Money” Friday, conservative talk show host David Webb said a “highly placed congressional source” told him that during a January 10, 2018, meeting with FBI Director Christopher Wray, Rosenstein, and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Nunes were in attendance, Rosenstein got so irritated by the requests for outstanding documents that he threatened to subpoena Congress and launch an investigation.
Webb pointed out that investigating Congress is not something the deputy AG can do just because of “the constant requests that he wasn’t filling.”
Fox News legal analyst Gregg Jarrett made the same claim on Fox News Friday night.
“A congressional source tells me that Rod Rosenstein in a meeting three weeks ago threatened Chairman Nunes and members of Congress that he was going to subpoena their texts and messages because he was tired of dealing with the Intel Committee,” Jarrett said at the end of a segment on “Hannity.”
Saturday morning, Jarrett tweeted that a second source had told him Rosenstein had threatened members of the House Intelligence Committee, calling it likely “an abuse of power and obstruction.”
A 2nd source has now confirmed to me that, in a meeting on January 10, Deputy A-G Rosenstein used the power of his office to threaten to subpoena the calls & texts of the Intel Committee to get it to stop it’s investigation of DOJ and FBI. Likely an Abuse of Power & Obstruction.
— Gregg Jarrett (@GreggJarrett) February 3, 2018
Again, if true, Rosenstein’s action was an illegal abuse of power and he should no longer serve as Deputy Attorney General. He allegedly used threats to try to stop the Intelligence Committee from exposing wrongful behavior in an attempt to cover it up.
— Gregg Jarrett (@GreggJarrett) February 3, 2018
Nunes was exercising his constitutional oversight authority by investigating alleged wrongdoing in the FBI and DOJ. Rosenstein, according to the source, threatened to use his power to retaliate against Nunes and others in an effort to intimidate them and stop their legal efforts
— Gregg Jarrett (@GreggJarrett) February 3, 2018
It is a crime for a government official to use his office to threaten anyone, including a member of Congress, for exercising a constitutionally protected right. See 18 USC 242 and other similar abuse of power statutes.
— Gregg Jarrett (@GreggJarrett) February 3, 2018
Jarrett says if the allegations are true, “Rosenstein must resign or be fired.”
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