Rosenstein: There's Nothing in My Oath About 'My Reputation'

U.S. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said he's not worried about media critics, saying when he took the oath for his position last month, there was no mention about protecting "my reputation," The Baltimore Sun reported Tuesday.

"Many people have offered me unsolicited advice over the past few days about what I should do to promote my personal reputation," Rosenstein said Monday to the Greater Baltimore Committee's annual dinner meeting.

"I took an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. There is nothing in that oath about my reputation. If you ask me, one of the main problems in Washington, D.C., is everybody is so busy running around trying to protect their reputation instead of protecting the republic, which is what they're supposed to be doing," he added.

Rosenstein, previously largely unknown outside of Washington circles, made headlines last week when a memo he wrote was referenced as playing a part in the firing of James Comey as FBI director.

"What is courage in government? It certainly includes standing on principle, ignoring the tyranny of the news cycle, resisting the urge to spin, remaining focused on the things that matter. The daily newspapers and endless talk shows are not the verdict of history," Rosenstein told the business group.

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