Under questioning from Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), he noted that Loretta E. Lynch, the attorney general at the end of the Obama administration, had resisted requests to appoint a special prosecutor. He said either she or acting deputy attorney general Dana Boente could have appointed such a person — if it were necessary. Soon afterward, President Bill Clinton’s deputy attorney general hired Rosenstein to be his counsel. As the Baltimore U.S. attorney, Rosenstein had many high-profile cases, including the successful prosecution of then-Prince George’s County Executive Jack B. Johnson, who was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2011 for corruption. Senators also considered the nomination of Rachel Brand on Tuesday to serve as associate attorney general, the third-highest position in the Justice Department.

Source: Washington Post March 07, 2017 15:29 UTC