Gaetz: If Rosenstein Doesn't Testify on Trump 'Wire' Report, I Will Introduce Impeachment Proceedings

September 24, 2018
9:42 pm

Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz said Monday that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein should testify before Congress regarding the report he considered wearing a wire to record President Trump.

Gaetz, a Fort Walton Beach Republican, said that if Rosenstein does not appear, that he and House Freedom Caucus Chair Mark Meadows of North Carolina will prepare articles of impeachment against him.

Gaetz said that any lawmaker may put forward articles of impeachment, and that they -- by rule -- must be brought up for a vote within two business days.

Last year, Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) invoked that privilege to unsuccessfully bring impeachment articles against Trump. The articles died in a motion-to-table vote of 364-58.

"No matter what the president does [to Rosenstein], the Congress has an obligation to exercise our oversight role," Gaetz said on "The Story." "Rod Rosenstein needs to be in the witness chair."

A New York Times report last week said an incensed Rosenstein made the reference in a private 2017 meeting with officials -- one of whom was Andy McCabe, the acting FBI director at the time.

Some have said Rosenstein was "joking" when he allegedly spoke about wearing a wire or pressing cabinet members to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove President Donald Trump from office.

"[If] he was sarcastically joking, that is [still] an inappropriate thing to do when you have subordinates... in your presence," Gaetz said.

Gaetz said Rosenstein has additionally been "very evasive" when it comes to the demands of the Judiciary Committee on which the lawmaker sits.

"We ought to know what happened, under oath, so it's not just speculation," he said.

Trump spoke to Rosenstein by phone Monday, a source told Fox News. The president is set to meet with Rosenstein in Washington on Thursday.

Initial conflicting reports said Rosenstein had resigned his post or was expecting Trump to fire him earlier Monday.

http://insider.foxnews.com/2018/09/2...-wire-comments