Who Is Rod J. Rosenstein? President's Deputy Attorney General Pick Declined Appointment Of Special Prosecutor In The Russia Probe

Rod J. Rosenstein, President Donald Trump's pick for the post of deputy general attorney, said Tuesday that he would not support the appointment of a special prosecutor in order to investigate the U.S.-Russia dealings that accused Trump's campaign officials of having contacts with Russian intelligence officials. Rosenstein testified that he could not make such a pledge because he did not have enough knowledge about the probe.

If Rosenstein wins the Senate confirmation and becomes the next deputy general attorney then he will lead the investigation, which Jeff Sessions recused himself of last week. Rosenstein currently serves as the U.S. attorney for Maryland and faced tough questioning, specially from the Democrats at the Senate Committee hearing for his nomination on Tuesday, The Hill reported.

Rosenstein said he would not take a stand on any individual case and it would be against his principle to describe the ways in which he would deal with it.

"I view it as a matter of principle. As a nominee for deputy attorney general, I should not be promising to take action on a particular case. My view is that I have a responsibility when I take that oath — I cannot take it on condition upon how I will handle a particular case," Rosenstein said.

Rosenstein said he could not comment or make a decision on whether a special prosecutor was needed because he was not aware of quite a number of facts that only the current officials working for the investigation would know. He only went to an extent to say that he would look into the appointment and said "whenever I determine it's appropriate based on the policies and procedures of the Department of Justice."

"If I were confirmed, I would need to familiarize myself with the facts, I would need to consult with experts in the department. I'm not aware of any requirement for me to recuse at this time. But as a lawyer I would need to know what I am recusing from," Rosenstein told the Senate Judiciary Committee, U.S. News & World Report reported.

Rosenstein was the only U.S. attorney to be appointed in a previous administration by President George W. Bush in 2005 and then last for as long as eight years in the Obama administration, according to the New York Times. Before this, the 52-year-old Rosenstein worked with the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney's Office for 26 years. Rosenstein has also been previously involved in politically charged cases during his 12-year term as the U.S. attorney for Maryland. Last year he worked on an investigation with the Kenneth Starr’s independent counsel that was looking into the Whitewater affair during Bill Clinton's presidency.

Following this incident, the congressional Democrats' proposal to set up an independent special counsel to investigate the Russian activities came into the spotlight Tuesday at the Senate hearing.

"It's vitally important that the American people have trust in this investigation and that there is not even the appearance of a conflict of interest or political influence. I do not say this because I question the integrity or the ability of Mr. Rosenstein. I do not. But this is about more than just one individual. This is about the integrity of the process and the public's faith in our institutions of justice," Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the Judiciary Committee's top Democrat, said in her opening remarks Tuesday, The Times reported.

However, Republican chairman of the panel, Senator Charles E. Grassley of Iowa said a special counsel was not necessary. "There are times when special counsels are appropriate. But it’s far too soon to tell here. And even if there were evidence of a crime related to any of these matters, once confirmed, Mr. Rosenstein can decide how to handle it. I know of no reason to question his judgment, integrity or impartiality."