‘That's public corruption’: Ex-FBI officials say we’re seeing ‘obstruction of justice in plain sight’

The removal of Jeff Sessions as Attorney General -- and replacement by Matthew Whitaker -- appears to be a case of public corruption and obstruction of justice, two former top Federal Bureau of Investigation officials explained on MSNBC's "Deadline: White House" on Wednesday.

The former Assistant Director for Counterintelligence at the FBI, Frank Figliuzzi, said the move appeared to violate federal law.

"I think we're watching obstruction of justice play out right in plain sight," Figliuzzi explained. "I fear there's a quid pro quo."

He added, "that's public corruption."

Chuck Rosenberg, the former Chief of Staff to the director of the FBI, agreed.

"I think Frank is spot on," he said.

"It strikes me that if you're firing Sessions because you're unhappy that he is not protecting you -- as a Roy Cohn would -- and you put in somebody who will protect you, that's just another brick in the wall," Rosenberg explained. "That's another question for Mueller to ask, another round of interviews for Mueller to conduct."

"I think this adds to the obstruction case, it doesn't subtract from it," he concluded.

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