Rod Rosenstein to Leave DOJ After Barr Confirmation

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is expected to leave the Department of Justice in the coming weeks, according to reports.

ABC News attributed the information to unnamed “multiple sources” in a report posted Wednesday. It also said that Rosenstein has notified President Donald Trump of his intentions.

His departure is planned to come around the time William Barr, Trump’s pick for attorney general, would take office after a Senate confirmation.

CNN reported Barr’s Senate confirmation hearing is scheduled to begin on Tuesday. At the earliest, Barr’s confirmation vote would take place in mid-February.

ABC News reported there was no indication Rosenstein was being forced to step down.

Rosenstein was the person who oversaw the probe by special counsel Robert Mueller for more than a year. ABC News noted he had been a frequent target of Trump’s Twitter attacks in the past.

In November, Trump had retweeted in image depicting Rosenstein, Hillary Clinton, former FBI Director James Comey, Mueller, and former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama behind bars. Trump was later asked why he believed Rosenstein belonged behind bars. The president replied: “He should have never picked a special counsel.”

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