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Gowdy sets things up by noting that the only reason for the appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller is the desire to have a fair, unbiased, “conflict of interest free” investigation. He then cites substantial reasons to doubt that members of Mueller’s team (past and present) are unbiased and conflict free.
Rosenstein replies that if members of Mueller’s team act improperly or show bias in their work, they will be removed, as Peter Strzok was. Frankly, I don’t believe this.
In any event, Rosenstein’s response is inadequate on its face. Attorney General Sessions could have run this investigation, with the promise that he would be removed if found (by the DOJ inspector general, for example) to have acted improperly or showed bias. This wouldn’t have been deemed adequate assurance of fairness by Democrats and some Republicans.
At this point, with all we have learned, similar assurances about Team Mueller aren’t adequate either.