Trump's lawyer on Mueller's Russia probe: "Just end it"
President Trump's personal lawyer has said Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein should "bring an end" to special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation "in light of recent revelations." His assertion comes on the heels of Attorney General Jeff Sessions decision to fire former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe late Friday night.
John Dowd, in an email to CBS News, said he's speaking for himself and "not the president" by calling on Rosenstein to end the "alleged Russia Collusion investigation." The Daily Beast first reported that Dowd was calling for an end to the investigation. Dowd refers to Rosenstein as the "acting attorney general," when he in reality is the deputy attorney general.
"I pray that Acting Attorney General Rosenstein will follow the brilliant and courageous example of the FBI Office of Professional Responsibility and Attorney General Jeff Sessions and bring an end to alleged Russia Collusion investigation manufactured by McCabe's boss James Comey based upon a fraudulent and corrupt Dossier," Dowd wrote to CBS News.
"Just end it on the merits in light of recent revelations," he added.
President Trump rejoiced in McCabe's firing in an early Saturday morning tweet, calling it a "great day for Democracy." The president had frequently criticized McCabe and the FBI generally, over the Russia probe and other matters.
McCabe, who was set to retire on Sunday, is expected to be criticized in an upcoming Department of Justice Inspector General's report. McCabe has said his dismissal was part of the Trump administration's "war on the FBI."
"It is part of this administration's ongoing war on the FBI and the efforts of the special counsel investigation, which continue to this day," McCabe said in a statement. "Their persistence in this campaign only highlights the importance of the special counsel's work."
Dowd's statement also comes a few days after Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee claimed they had completed the interview phase of their own investigation into Russian interference and any ties to Trump associates, and found no collusion. Mr. Trump interpreted that as vindication.
But Mueller's probe appears far from over. His team recently subpoenaed documents from the Trump Organization.
On Saturday, Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, responded to Dowd's remarks with a call on fellow lawmakers to speak up "in defense of the Special Counsel. Now."
— CBS News' Steven Portnoy contributed to this report.
