Rosenstein ‘Knew’ of Comey Firing Before He Wrote Memo

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein on Thursday told senators that he knew former FBI Director James Comey would be fired before even writing the document, which was used by the White House to justify the dismissal. Democratic Senators Richard Durbin and Claire McCaskill both told reporters that Rosenstein said he was aware the Monday before Comey’s firing of Trump’s decision. He also said he was not pressured by the president into writing his memo. “He learned the president’s decision to fire him and then he wrote his memo with his rationale,” Durbin said. Rosenstein told the Senate these details on Thursday, one day after he appointed a special counsel to investigate possible Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential election—and potential assistance from Trump’s campaign. In a Thursday afternoon press conference, however, President Trump contradicated Rosenstein, telling reporters that he had received a "very, very strong recommendation" from the deputy attorney general to fire Comey.