Special Counsel Appointed To Investigate Trump-Russia
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announced on Wednesday that the Justice Department has appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller as a special counsel for its Russian probe.
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announced on Wednesday that the Justice Department has appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller as a special counsel for its Russian probe.
I accept this responsibility and will discharge it to the best of my ability.The president also released an official White House statement on Thursday, saying that the investigation will show there was no collusion:
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. I look forward to this matter concluding quickly.Trump did spend his Thursday morning on Twitter, calling it “the single greatest witch hunt”:
With all of the illegal acts that took place in the Clinton campaign & Obama Administration, there was never a special councel [sic] appointed! This is the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history!
With all of the illegal acts that took place in the Clinton campaign & Obama Administration, there was never a special councel appointed!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 18, 2017
The reaction from politicians on both sides has been positive. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) told reporters the move could reduce partisan tensions on Capitol Hill, adding that it could help the Senate quickly confirm the president’s replacement for Comey. Many reports suggest that Trump could nominate former Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT). Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI) stated that Mueller will assist in establishing a "thorough and independent investigation." Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) said there was “no better person who could be asked to perform this function.” Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) believes the appointment was a “good decision.” The reaction from the media, however, has been divided. The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board called having a special counsel a “mistake” because they are “politically unaccountable”:This is the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 18, 2017
These expeditions rarely end well for anyone, and Democrats are hoping this one will bedevil the Trump Administration for the next four years. The problem with special counsels, as we’ve learned again and again, is that they are by definition politically unaccountable. What the country really needs is a full accounting of how the Russians tried to influence the election and whether any Americans assisted them.It should be noted that the only person who can dismiss Mueller is Rosenstein for things like conflict of interest, dereliction of duty or misconduct. Breitbart complained that there wasn’t any special counselor for the previous administration’s scandals:
But viewed in recent historical context, the appointment of a Special Counsel is unfair and indefensible. President Barack Obama faced a large number of scandals, many of which involved apparent violations of federal law. And yet in eight long years, Obama skated by without any serious investigations by the Department of Justice, or with investigations that were quashed from above. It seems Republican administration are held to a higher standard.When a conclusion is made, it is likely that one side of the aisle will be upset. In the 1990s, Democrats accused Kenneth Starr, the independent counsel who investigated President Bill Clinton in the Whitewater scandal, of exceeding his authority. https://youtu.be/S8mmP9biqIs
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