Rod Rosenstein hits back at James Comey, calling him a 'partisan pundit'

Former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein fired back against former FBI Director James Comey on Monday, admonishing him for "speculating about the strength of my character and the fate of my immortal soul."

Comey has made several unflattering public comments about Rosenstein, whose last day as deputy attorney general was Saturday. During a CNN town hall on Thursday, Comey said Rosenstein was "not strong enough" to stand up to President Trump, and in a New York Times op-ed earlier this month, he argued that working for Trump eats away at your soul and wondered how in the wake of the release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report, Rosenstein could praise Trump in his resignation letter and quote him on the rule of law.

NBC News obtained Rosenstein's prepared remarks for an event Monday night with the Greater Baltimore Committee, and in his speech, an indignant Rosenstein called Comey a "partisan pundit," and said he finds it "disappointing" that Comey is "selling books and earning speaking fees while speculating about the strength of my character and fate of my immortal soul." Conjecture about souls, he added, is "not a job for police and prosecutors. Generally, we base our opinions on eyewitness testimony."

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