Attorney General Jeff Sessions vowed Wednesday that the Justice Department will review revelations in a series of stories published by The Hill showing the Obama administration approved a uranium deal with Russia despite evidence gathered by the FBI showing that Russian nuclear officials were involved in bribery, kickbacks and other corruption on U.S. soil.
“We will hear your concerns — the Department of Justice will take such actions as is appropriate,” Sessions told Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who cited The Hill’s stories.
“Without confirming or denying the existence of an investigation, I would say I hear your concerns and they will be reviewed,” Sessions added.
{mosads}Grassley said one of his concerns was that the FBI probe of Russian nuclear corruption, which began in 2009 and ended in 2015, was run by then Obama-appointed U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein.
Rosenstein now serves as the deputy attorney general in the Trump administration.
Sessions defended Rosenstein in response to a question from Grassley.
Rosenstein “directly supervised the criminal case when he was U.S. attorney in Maryland. I don’t think it would be proper for him to supervise a review of his own conduct, do you?” Grassley asked.
“It would be his decision. He’s a man of integrity,” Sessions responded.