New Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein Reflects on Leaving Baltimore With Vic Carter
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- In his 12 years as the chief federal prosecutor in Maryland, Rod Rosenstein brought down gangs, uncovered organized crime and political corruption, and exposed a major Baltimore City prison scandal, in which the inmates were calling the shots from the inside.
Now, the 52-year-old will become the second most powerful prosecutor in the country, as he moves to Washington to fight terrorism, and lead the investigation into Russian meddling in the presidential election.
WJZ's Vic Carter recently sat down with Rosenstein to talk about his appointment to Deputy Attorney General, serving under Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
"It's been a great honor for me to serve in the Department of Justice for 27 years, it's been a tremendous honor to be U.S. Attorney for 12 years, and have the opportunity to become Deputy Attorney General is something I never anticipated," he said.
"As I reflect back on what we've done over the past 12 years, I'm very proud of the folks that I work with and of the things that we've done. I think ultimately the value of the office is reflected on what we do for the people of Maryland. That's our mission, is to promote public safety and promote the rule of law here in Maryland and I think we've been tremendously successful."
Rosenstein is credited with dismantling the reign of the Black Guerrilla Family inside the Baltimore Detention Center.
The gang's leader, Tavon White, was running an intricate scheme that involved getting prison guards pregnant and smuggling in drugs and cell phones.
"This problem is not unique to Baltimore," he said. "It's endemic, really, to prison facilities."
"I hope I've left Baltimore better than it was when arrived. If I did, it's partly because of me, but it's mostly because of the people that I work with every day. And I anticipate that when I leave this office not much is going to change."
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