US Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is expected to step down in mid-March, according to Reuters, citing a Justice Department official.

Rosenstein - who has refused to testify in front of Congress since reports emerged that he wanted to secretly record President Trump and invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office, had been expected to leave his position shortly after newly minted Attorney General William Barr assumed his office. 

The DOJ official said Rosenstein's departure was not connected to the 25th Amendment or surveillance allegations. 

Of note, Rosenstein recommended the firing of former FBI Director James Comey, then launched the special counsel probe using Comey's hand-written 'evidence' that Trump obstructed justice by pressuring him to end the investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. 

According to a September New York Times report and renewed allegations by former acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, Rosenstein considered wearing a wire in meetings with Trump - an accusation that the Deputy AG has called "inaccurate and factually incorrect." 

Earlier on Monday Trump accused both McCabe and Rosenstein of planning a "very illegal act," which he described in a tweet as "illegal and treasonous."

Rosenstein ceased overseeing Mueller's probe on Nov. 7 when Trump named Matt Whittaker acting attorney general.

Barr now has oversight of the investigation. -Reuters