WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins, R-W.Va., said the appointment of former FBI Director Robert Mueller as special counsel by the U.S. Department of Justice is another way in understand how Russia could have interfered in the 2016 presidential election.
“I have always been supportive of the investigations going on in the House (of Representatives) and the Senate,” he said. “I’ve had confidence that they would follow the facts as they lead. Now with a special counsel, that is an additional layer of investigatory authority.”
The Senate Intelligence Committee, Senate Judiciary Committee, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, the House Intelligence Committee and the Justice Department are conducting investigations related to ties between the Trump presidential campaign and Russia.
“We have multiple layers of investigations,” Jenkins said. “That’s what the public, I think, wants. To make sure that we get to the bottom of this. Let’s go wherever the facts lead us, and let’s see what the conclusions are.”
U.S. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein spoke to lawmakers Thursday and Friday. While little is known about what was said inside the briefing room, Jenkins, who said he was in attendance during the House briefing, mentioned most of it was focused on addressing concerns if the Russia investigation was being taken seriously.
“Reassuring us that no politics was involved in the investigation that was underway,” he said.
Rosenstein also spoke to lawmakers about why he recommended former FBI Director James Comey be fired from his position for his handling of the FBI’s investigation over former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server.
“He proceeded to disclose details about the evidence; assert that the American people ‘deserve’ to know details; declare that no ‘reasonable’ prosecutor would file charges; and criticize Secretary Clinton,” Rosenstein said in prepared remarks. “I thought the July 5 press conference was profoundly wrong and unfair both to the Department of Justice and Secretary Clinton.”
Members of the Trump administration said President Donald Trump based the firing on the recommendation. Trump, however, told NBC News he was going to fire Comey regardless of the memo.
Rosenstein additionally told lawmakers he learned on May 8 — a day before his memorandum was sent — Trump was planning on firing Comey.
“My memorandum is not a statement of reasons to justify a for-cause termination,” Rosenstein said. “It is a candid internal memorandum about the FBI director’s public statements concerning a high-profile criminal investigation.”
The New York Times reported Friday Trump told Russian officials he fired Comey to ease pressure stemming from the Russia investigation.
“Hopefully, a lot of the political outrage and outrage will die down (with the Mueller appointment),” Jenkins said.
Jenkins said there is a “high-level of political rancor” that has hindered understanding investigations over the past year, going back to the Clinton investigation.
“We know that the Democrats in particular were the loudest voices for him to be fired for many, man months,” Jenkins said, referencing the calls from some Democratic lawmakers for Comey’s removal last fall after he re-opened the investigation.
“They have flipped 180 degrees and now are outraged by the same firing that they have hoped for.”
Jenkins said the new special counsel has the ability to looking into all activities related to Russia’s possible role in affecting the previous election.
“We need to get to the bottom of it,” he said. “That is why we’ve had congressional investigations and now a special prosecutor.”
Jenkins said he wants to understand what was going on to assure the public of a sound election process and “any connections” between Russia and Trump were exposed. In the meantime, he said there are other matters he also needs to address while the investigations continue.
“Regardless of your party affiliation, our president is Donald Trump,” Jenkins said. “I am doing every thing I can to try to advance policies in Washington and working with the administration where possible to try to get people back to work in West Virginia and address the critical needs of not only our state, but our country.”
Trump began on his first foreign trip as president Friday. He is scheduled to be in Israel Monday.