Senators move to prevent Mueller from being fired
WASHINGTON — .Senators introduced two bipartisan bills Thursday seeking to protect Special Counsel Robert Mueller from being fired by President Trump as both parties signaled resistance to any White House effort to derail the investigation into Russian meddling in last year’s election.
The similar measures emerged hours before the Senate was planning to begin a summer recess, when some lawmakers have said they fear Trump might remove Mueller. Senators have warned Trump not to dismiss Mueller, and lawmakers were hoping the bills’ release would communicate clear congressional opposition to such a move.
One plan by Sens. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and Chris Coons, D-Del., would let any special counsel for the Department of Justice challenge his or her removal in court. A threejudge panel would review the dismissal within 14 days of the challenge.
The measure would apply retroactively to May 17. That is the day Mueller was appointed by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to investigate allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible ties between Russia and Trump’s presidential campaign.
The other legislation was proposed by Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Cory Booker, D-N.J. It would prevent the firing of any special counsel unless the dismissal was first reviewed by a panel of three federal judges.
Coons said the two plans were introduced after lawyers differed over which mechanism might be more vulnerable to a legal challenge. He said he hopes lawmakers will coalesce around a consensus measure in the coming weeks.
“Mueller enjoys wide support in the Senate” from both parties, Coons said. He said the bills reflected “our level of concern that the president may take some abrupt action in coming months” against the special counsel and the investigation.
“This is something that lives long beyond this” situation involving Mueller, Tillis told reporters. “And I think it’s also something that begins to reestablish the reputation for independence in the Department of Justice.”