Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Special counsel named in inquiry
Ex-FBI chief to run probe into Russia election interference
The Justice Department on Wednesday appointed former FBI director Robert S. Mueller III as special counsel to investigate possible coordination between Donald Trump associates and Russian officials.
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department on Wednesday named a special counsel, former FBI Director Robert Mueller, to take over the investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 election and possible collusion between Russian agents and associates of President Donald Trump.
The move heightened the legal and political stakes for the president and his administration. It came after days of allegations against Trump have raised new questions about whether administration officials could oversee a probe which has the president at its center, facing new suggestions he may have tried to obstruct the FBI’s investigation.
“My decision is not a finding that crimes have been committed or that prosecution is warranted,” Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said in announcing the appointment. “I have made no such determination.”
But, he said, a special counsel is necessary in order for the “American people to have full confidence in the outcome” of the investigation.
“The public interest requires me to place this investigation under the authority of a person who exercises a degree of independence from the normal chain of command,” Rosenstein wrote.
In a statement, Trump reiterated his innocence.
“As I have stated many times, a thorough investigation will confirm what we already know – there was no collusion between my campaign and any foreign entity,” Trump said. “I look forward to this matter concluding quickly. In the meantime, I will never stop fighting for the people and the issues that matter most to the future of our country.”
Rosenstein, who is overseeing the Russia investigation because Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself, did not inform either the White House or Sessions about the decision until after he had signed the order appointing Mueller, according to a Justice spokesman who spoke on condition of anonymity.
About a half hour before the order was made public, a Justice official informed White House counsel Don McGahn. Trump’s spokesperson Sean Spicer abruptly left a scheduled meeting with reporters as White House aides huddled to decide on their response.
Spicer, as recently as Monday, had insisted that “there’s frankly no need for a special prosecutor” when reporters pressed him about calls in Congress for such an appointment.
Mueller, a former federal prosecutor who served as U.S. attorney in San Francisco under President Bill Clinton and was named FBI director by President George W. Bush, is well regarded as a non-partisan figure. He was FBI director for 12 years, kept on by President Barack Obama.
In the Bush administration, Mueller worked with James Comey, his successor as FBI director, who was fired last week by Trump.
His appointment drew praise from Democrats who have been demanding an independent counsel.
“Rosenstein has done the right thing.” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said. “I now have significantly greater confidence that the investigation will follow the facts wherever they lead.”
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi offered more measured approval.
“A special prosecutor is the first step, but it cannot be the last,” she said. “He cannot take the place of a truly independent, outside commission that is completely free from the Trump administration’s meddling.”
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat who knows Mueller well from his years in the Bay area, said there was “no better person who could be asked to perform this function. He is respected, he is talented and he has the knowledge and ability to do the right thing.”
Former Attorney General John Ashcroft, who worked closely with Mueller in the Bush administration, praised the choice in an interview.
“It’s impossible to think about Washington without politics blowing people off course,” Ashcroft said. “But if anyone can stay on course and not be deterred by the whims of politics, it’s Bob Mueller.”
“He won’t be swayed by the barking dogs. He’ll go after the facts.”
Some Republicans, however, were less enthusiastic.
“It’s fine,” said Rep. Pete King of New York, who called Mueller a “solid guy.” “I just don’t think there is any need for it.”
Pressure on Rosenstein to name a special counsel built quickly last week after Trump fired Comey. It mounted even further Tuesday when news broke that Trump had asked Comey in February to drop the investigation of Michael Flynn, his former national security adviser, according to a memo that Comey wrote after he and the president met.
Mueller will be able to hire a staff and request funding from Justice.