Mueller gets praise from Ohio delegation

WASHINGTON — Ohio lawmakers from both parties Wednesday praised Robert Mueller, the former FBI director who will now oversee the Justice Department’s investigation of the Trump administration’s possible ties to the Russians, saying his intellect and experience make him highly qualified.

“The issue of Russian meddling in our presidential election must be investigated fully, and former FBI Director Robert Mueller is well qualified to oversee this probe,” said Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio.

“This was a necessary and long-overdue step by the Department of Justice that moves us closer to getting to the truth,” said Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Niles. “We need to remain vigilant and steadfast in the face of President Trump’s repeated attempts to obstruct justice.”

Rep. Steve Stivers, R-Upper Arlington, called Mueller “a man of the highest integrity and intellect.”

“If there’s anyone who knows how to run a thorough investigation, it’s him,” he said. “Between his work and the work of the congressional investigations in both the House and Senate, the American people can rest assured that no stone will be left unturned. We need to follow the facts wherever they lead.”

And Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, called the news “long overdue.”

“The investigation needs to be done right and it needs to be done swiftly, so the American people can get the answers they deserve, and we can move on with the business of creating jobs, renegotiating NAFTA and investing in our infrastructure,” he said.

The appointment occurred even as Democrats attempted to force the House to vote on a bill that would create an independent, 12-member commission to investigate the scandal.

Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Jefferson Township, who co-sponsored the bill along with the three other Democrats in the state’s congressional delegation, suggested that if reports that Trump disclosed classified information to the Russians and tried to impede the criminal investigation of former national security adviser Michael Flynn are true, then the president has committed offenses worthy of impeachment.

“I think it is impeachable,” Beatty said in an interview. “I think if you try to stop an investigation that that is a problem for the president of the United States.”

In suggesting that Trump’s actions were impeachable, Beatty joined Democrats such as Rep. Al Green of Texas and Rep. Maxine Waters of California in holding that view. Green called for Trump’s impeachment on the House floor Wednesday.

But Beatty acknowledged that “we’re just not there at this point,” saying the matter must be thoroughly investigated first.

Still, she said, the drumbeat of news has cast a pall over the Capitol, Beatty said.

“We’re in the big leagues,” she said. “This is like a (plot) line from ‘Scandal.’”