Former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein slammed disgraced former FBI Director James Comey yesterday in a speech, calling him a “partisan pundit” and criticizing him for “selling books and earning speaking fees.
Speaking to business leaders in Baltimore, the Rosenstein referenced Comey’s recent op-ed in which he claimed the former Deputy Attorney General’s soul had been “eaten” by President Trump.
“Now the former director seems to be acting as a partisan pundit, selling books and earning speaking fees while speculating about the strength of my character and the fate of my immortal soul,” Rosenstein said.
**LISTEN: Dan addresses Trey Gowdy’s revealing comments on last night’s Hannity**
“I kid you not. That is disappointing,” he continued.
Rosenstein also said while he “admired” Comey in the past, his handling of the Clinton email investigation was egregious and his firing was “reasonable under the circumstances.”
“The clearest mistake was the director’s decision to hold a press conference about an open case, reveal his recommendation and discuss details about the investigation, without the consent of the prosecutors and the attorney general,” Rosenstein said. “Then, he chose to send a letter to the Congress on the eve of the election stating that one of the candidates was under criminal investigation, expecting it to be released immediately to the public.”
He continued, “Those actions were not within the range of reasonable decisions. They were inconsistent with our goal of communicating to all FBI employees that they should respect the attorney general’s role, refrain from disclosing information about criminal investigations, avoid disparaging uncharged persons, and above all, not take unnecessary steps that could influence an election.”
