Sessions hints more firings possible, defends Rosenstein over conflicts allegations

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is hinting there could be more fallout from the internal investigations that have rocked the FBI while defending his top deputy Rod Rosenstein against allegations of conflicts of interest.

Sessions told The Hill’s new morning show Rising in an exclusive interview airing Thursday that the impending release of a Justice Department inspector general report on missteps during ex-FBI Director James Comey’s era will better help the agency improve from past mistakes that led to Comey’s firing last year.

“If anyone else shows up in this report to have done something that requires termination we will do so,” he added.

He also addressed conservative attacks on Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who took charge of the Russia case more than a year ago when Sessions recused himself because of earlier contacts with Moscow’s ambassador during the 2016 campaign.

Congressional Republicans and TV pundits have now alleged Rosenstein has a conflict, because Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating President Trump’s firing of Comey as a possible act of obstruction.

Rosenstein played a major role in that termination, and critics say that makes him a witness in the Mueller case.

But Sessions made clear he authorized Rosenstein to remain in charge of the politically charged probe.

“That decision really fell to me , ultimately on the Comey matter,” the attorney general told co-host Buck Sexton. “And that’s not a disqualifying thing.

“The recommendations we made on the dismissal of Comey resulted from his handling of certain cases that were laid out in his (Rosenstein’s) recommendation to me or his analysis to me and my recommendation to President Trump.

To watch Rising’s entire interview, go to http://hill.tv/rising starting at 8 a.m.