WASHINGTON _ House Speaker Paul D. Ryan split from more conservative elements of his conference by continuing to back Rod Rosenstein, even though some of President Donald Trump's allies in the House have begun drafting articles of impeachment for the deputy attorney general.
The speaker's position has not changed since January, a spokeswoman said responding to further murmurs of impeachment. Rosenstein is "doing a fine job" and there is "no reason" for Trump to fire him, Ryan said at the beginning of the year.
Rosenstein oversees the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election _ and President Donald Trump's potential obstruction of justice in the ongoing probe _ headed by Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III because Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from it.
The cadre of House conservatives calling for Rosenstein's head are accusing the deputy AG of withholding from Congress documents regarding the Department of Justice's Russia investigation and its past investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server when she was secretary of State.
The threat of impeachment is unlikely to amount to any real action, experts have said.
"The Department of Justice is not going to be extorted," Rosenstein said Tuesday in front of a packed audience at an event at the Newseum in Washington.
Rosenstein said the threat of impeachment from House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows, Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, House speaker hopeful Jim Jordan, and a few others was just one of countless moves by conservatives in Washington to intimidate the DOJ and the special counsel on Russia.
Meadows delivered a sharp response to Rosenstein later Tuesday.
"If he believes being asked to do his job is 'extortion,' then Rod Rosenstein should step aside and allow us to find a new deputy attorney general _ preferably one who is interested in transparency," the North Carolina Republican said.
While House conservatives call for Rosenstein's impeachment, some Senate Republicans took pre-emptive steps last week to protect those under his chain of command, namely Mueller, the leader of the Russian interference probe.
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved legislation Thursday by a 14-7 vote designed to safeguard the special counsel from being arbitrarily fired by Trump.
Four Republicans _ Chairman Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, Jeff Flake of Arizona, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, and North Carolina's Thom Tillis _ joined committee Democrats in the majority.
Tillis and Graham both emphasized the bill is for the future, not just Mueller's probe.
"It's about a system for today, tomorrow and forever that makes sure nobody, even the president, is above scrutiny," Graham said. "When we put someone in this spot, they're in a political hot spot, that's the nature of the special counsel, and I think we'd be well served as a nation to have a check and balance on that situation."
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has vowed that the bill will not reach the Senate floor.
