Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions Thursday stood up for his often-maligned Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, praising his handling of special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe.
“It was no little matter. There was a continual uproar. Decisions had to be made, and those decisions fell to him and him alone,” Mr. Sessions said. “He became the attorney general for this matter. He made every decision based on what he thought was best for this country. He stayed the course during some of the most difficult times during the history of the department.”
Mr. Sessions’ comments came at a farewell ceremony for his former second-in-command, who is leaving the department this week. The ex-attorney general, who was forced to resign in November, received a fairly lengthy standing ovation.
“Rod, you did your duty as it fell upon you,” Mr. Sessions said. “You didn’t ask for it, that’s for sure, but you did your duty, and you followed the regulations.”
The Mueller probe fell to Mr. Rosenstein after Mr. Sessions recused himself. Mr. Rosenstein was frequently criticized by President Trump....