WASHINGTON – Republican lawmakers and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein clashed Thursday as part of a bitter dispute over the Justice Department's handling of the Clinton email investigation and the inquiry into the Trump campaign.
The House Judiciary Committee hearing, where Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher Wray were called to testify, devolved into an angry exchange between the deputy attorney general and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who asserted that Rosenstein was "hiding" information from Congress.
"We caught you hiding information!" Jordan said.
Rosenstein wagged a finger at the congressman seated to his left, calling his remarks "deeply wrong."
"It's not accurate, sir," Rosenstein said. "I am not hiding anything from you. ... If you are interested in the truth, there are (people) working around the clock, doing their best (to provide the information requested)."
The House hearing marked the third congressional review in the past two weeks largely centered on the findings of an internal Justice Department review that blasted former FBI and Justice officials for their handling of the inquiry into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server when she was secretary of state.
The report by the Justice Department's inspector general found cascading errors in judgment by top officials who oversaw the inquiry, including then-FBI Director James Comey and Attorney General Loretta Lynch.
Though the report criticized law enforcement decision-making, it found that the investigation itself was not swayed by political bias.
Republican lawmakers threatened to punish Justice and FBI officials with contempt actions and even impeachment if the agency doesn't comply with a demand for documents related to the Clinton and Trump inquiries.
Rosenstein and Wray told the panel Thursday that they provided hundreds of thousands of documents to Congress as part of an "unprecedented" disclosure.
Wray said the FBI assigned at least 100 people to complete the process.
Thursday's hearing underscored deep divisions within the Republican Party as lawmakers attacked fellow Republican Rosenstein, who was appointed by President Donald Trump.
Rosenstein has drawn the ire of Trump and the president's arch-conservative allies in Congress for his role overseeing the investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential campaign.
After the recusal of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Rosenstein appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller to lead the Russia investigation, which has resulted in the indictment of at least 20 people, including some of Trump's closest former aides.
Thursday, Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., expressed his frustration with the yearlong Russia investigation and urged Rosenstein and Wray to push for a conclusion.
"Whatever you got, finish it the hell up!" Gowdy implored, adding that the inquiry was "tearing the country apart."
"I want him (Mueller) to finish the investigation as expeditiously as possible," Rosenstein responded.
As Republican lawmakers pressed Rosenstein and Wray, Democrats ironically rushed to the defense of the deputy attorney general and FBI director.
Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., referred to both men as "paragons." Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., said she would "disassociate myself with the manner in which you have been treated."
The most vocal support came from Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., who warned Rosenstein that Republican members were targeting him for removal.
"They want to impeach you," Gutierrez said. "They want to indict you. They want to get rid of you."
Though much of the hearing featured tense exchanges, there were a few moments of levity.
Asked to confirm their personal political affiliations after Trump asserted that Mueller's team was composed of "13 angry Democrats," Rosenstein responded: "I'm not a Democrat, and I'm not angry."
