Former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein acknowledged he discussed with the FBI wearing a wire when talking to President Trump but insisted the comment was in jest amid tumultuous times at the Justice Department.

His acknowledgment is contained in a series of emails exchanged in 2018 in response to a New York Times story. The September 2018 story was apparently sourced to fired Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe, a fierce enemy of the president’s and now Democratic Party backer.

The emails were obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by Judicial Watch, a conservative investigative non-profit.

Source: Rod Rosenstein plotted Trump coup, Judicial Watch says – Washington Times