WASHINGTON Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has worked for the Justice Department for 27 years, so its no surprise he cares deeply about DOJs reputation.

In a May 9 memo, Rosenstein laid out a justification for firing former FBI Director James Comey, arguing that when public trust in the Justice Department or its agencies is damaged, officials should take action to restore it. He condemned Comeys public disclosures about the investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in July 2016 and then again just before the November presidential election. The memo said it broke with DOJ protocol and undermined public trust in the department.

Notably, while his scathing report was used in President Donald Trump s formal letter dismissing Comey, Rosensteins memo never directly recommended firing the FBI director.

The presidents Tuesday dismissal of Comey , who was leading an FBI investigation into whether Trumps presidential campaign colluded with the Russian government to interfere in the 2016 presidential election, has raised concerns about impartiality. At first, administration officials emphasized that the president fired the FBI director because of Rosensteins recommendation, not the Russia probe. Later, they said that Trump began seriously considering firing Comey last week, after the director testified before Congress, focusing largely on the Russia investigation.

After Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the investigation in March, Rosenstein was confirmed to the Justice Departments No. 2 position and is now in charge of the Russia probe. But Rosensteins role in Comeys firing will raise questions with the public about whether he can independently oversee an investigation into campaign of President Trump, the man who nominated him.