The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on “oversight of the FBI and DOJ actions surrounding the 2016 election” on Thursday.
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher Wray were there to testify. (Video Below)
In a contentious hearing, Rosenstein was grilled repeatedly Thursday by House Republicans over everything from his department’s role in Trump campaign surveillance to alleged stonewalling of congressional document requests to the damning watchdog report on FBI conduct during the Clinton email probe.
Rep. Matt Gaetz went all in during the hearing giving Rosenstein the drilling he’ll never forget.
He asked Rosenstein if he was aware of any payments that were made to any person to collect intelligence on the Trump campaign prior to July 31, 2016? Rosenstein denied having any information.
Then, Matt asked if he was aware of any efforts to contact Roger Stone that occurred prior to July 31, 2016? He denied information again. (Video Below)
Rosenstein seemed a bit nervous as Matt kept the heat on Rosenstein and dove in for more questions.
“How about the same question in regards to Michael Caputo?” Matt asked. Rosenstein denied having any knowledge of that that too.
Matt interrupted Rosenstein as he stumbled to find an answer. “Have you asked any of these questions?” Matt asked. Rosenstein seemed to dodge Matt’s question. (Video Below)
Then, Gaetz said, “You could understand why it could be of tremendous importance to the country if the DOJ has represented to a court that this investigation began on July 31st… and the fact that you can’t tell me definitively that before July 31st there was not intelligence collected on the Trump campaign. That is something of great interest to us.”
Next, Matt asked about Nelly Ore, the wife of Rosenstein’s associate deputy AG General, Bruce Ore, who was working for Fusion GPS, and was actively assigned to the Dossier- who said all the nasty things about Trump. He grilled Rosenstein about when he first knew about it.
Rosenstein responded he believed it was in the fall of 2017 and said that Bruce Ore wasn’t working on it.
Matt interrupted him while pressuring him about not responding to a letter sent to him and said, “We need a date when you found out from your deputy, was working for people who actively trying to undermine President Trump! Don’t you think that’s a really important date for you to know about the spouse of your own Deputy Attorney General?”
Rosenstein made up some excuses and Matt wasn’t having it. He cut off Rosenstein and went in for the next question due to time. (Video Below)
Gaetz directed his attention and went right into the FISA renewal that Rosenstein signed. He asked for the names of people who briefed him on the FISA renewal. Again, Rosenstein dodged the question and brought up his own conduct. But, Matt slammed him asking again, and he asked if he read the FISA renewal. Rosenstein refused to answer.
“So you won’t even say to this committee if you even read the document that authorized spying on the Trump campaign?” Rosenstein stumbled, and Matt interrupted asking, “Did you read it or not?” Rosenstein refused again.
Matt asked if Peter Strzok, Lisa Page, Sally Moyor or Trisha Anderson briefed him on the FISA application and renewals and Rosenstein denied it while trying to make up more excuses.
“But you signed it!” Matt declared. “Did you thoroughly review it?” He asked Rosenstein.
Rosenstein peddled around with his answer finally saying, “I reviewed the detail and the information that was public with that was different from what I signed.”
WATCH Rosenstein dodge, stutter, and nervously fumble while Matt Gaetz grill him below:
Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein answers @RepMattGaetz’s questions https://t.co/iEkrekY54q pic.twitter.com/2BgYPGvzQL
— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 28, 2018
Matt Gaetz is working hard to get the answers for the American people that the DOJ is hiding. Do you think Rosenstein is hiding information? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
