Breaking News
Since Sessions had to recuse himself the Deputy Attorney General has now appointed Mueller as Special Counsel of the Russia investigation. For those of you around the world to understand this better, this has happened like this only one time before with Nixon and even then it wasn't over a Foreign power's influence here of the U.S. Government on any level.
The last time it was because Nixon had committed a crime, or more accurately multiple crimes against the government and people of the United States. This happened on this date in 1973 I believe if I heard all this correctly.
"THE WATERGATE PROSECUTOR WAS APPOINTED IN MAY 1973, THE PRESIDENT RESIGNED IN AUGUST 1974 JUST OVER A YEAR LATER AND THE TRIAL AND CONVICTIONS WERE IN JANUARY 1975. SO, THE ENTIRE THING TOOK 18 MONTHS."
Last quote from Jill Wine-Banks Assistant Watergate Special Prosecutor on CNN at 8:27 pm on Wednesday May 17th 2017.
Since Sessions had to recuse himself the Deputy Attorney General has now appointed Mueller as Special Counsel of the Russia investigation. For those of you around the world to understand this better, this has happened like this only one time before with Nixon and even then it wasn't over a Foreign power's influence here of the U.S. Government on any level.
The last time it was because Nixon had committed a crime, or more accurately multiple crimes against the government and people of the United States. This happened on this date in 1973 I believe if I heard all this correctly.
"THE WATERGATE PROSECUTOR WAS APPOINTED IN MAY 1973, THE PRESIDENT RESIGNED IN AUGUST 1974 JUST OVER A YEAR LATER AND THE TRIAL AND CONVICTIONS WERE IN JANUARY 1975. SO, THE ENTIRE THING TOOK 18 MONTHS."
Last quote from Jill Wine-Banks Assistant Watergate Special Prosecutor on CNN at 8:27 pm on Wednesday May 17th 2017.
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DOJ names Robert Mueller to oversee federal probe into campaign interference
Mueller and Comey have a history
Special counsel appointed in Russia probe
Story highlights
- Special counsel will probe possible collusion between Russia and President Trump's campaign
- Mueller was appointed FBI Director by President George W. Bush in 2001 and served until 2013
Washington (CNN)The Justice Department on Wednesday appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller
as special counsel to oversee the federal investigation into Russian
interference in the 2016 election, including potential collusion between
President Donald Trump's campaign associates and Russian officials.
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed Mueller to the position in a letter obtained by CNN.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions previously recused himself from any
involvement in the Russia investigation due to his role as a prominent
campaign adviser and surrogate.
As
special counsel, Mueller is "authorized to prosecute federal crimes
arising from the investigation of these matters," according to the
Justice Department order Rosenstein signed.
Mueller's
appointment aims to quell the wave of criticism that Trump and his
administration have faced since Trump fired FBI Director James Comey
last week in the middle of the FBI's intensifying investigation into
contacts between Trump campaign associates and Russian officials.
In a statement, Trump said an investigation will confirm that "there was no collusion" between his campaign and Russia.
"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. In
the meantime, I will never stop fighting for the people and the issues
that matter most to the future of our country."
In a brief statement, Mueller said, "I accept this responsibility and will discharge it to the best of my ability."
News
of the special counsel announcement was closely held. The White House
received a heads-up less than an hour before the news broke at 6 p.m.
ET. The rest of House leadership and rank-and-file members were in the
dark, but a Justice Department official did reach out directly to
Speaker Paul Ryan shortly before the announcement to let him know of the
special counsel appointment, according to a GOP source.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, a member of the Senate intelligence committee, said the appointment was needed.
"I
think it was the right thing to do and I believe they saw it as the
right thing to do otherwise they're going to have a fight and it's not
worth the fight," Feinstein said. "There (is) mutual suspicion of one
side and the other. This clears that up and has a person whose
reputation is as good as it gets and he'll be very good."
White House didn't want special counsel
Calls
for a special counsel or prosecutor were rising after The Washington
Post and then CNN reported on excerpts of a memo Comey wrote in
February, in which Comey wrote that Trump asked him to drop the FBI
investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
Demands intensified from Democrats on Capitol Hill for the Justice
Department to appoint a special counsel or prosecutor to oversee the
case. Republicans on Tuesday night began to join those calls.
Trump
was meeting with FBI director candidates when the White House was
formally told that a special prosecutor had been named in Russia
investigation. The White House counsel informed the president.
"It's
still sinking in," one administration official said, describing an air
of uncertainty in the West Wing. "We were told about it. Not asked about
it."
White House spokesman Sean Spicer on Monday dismissed the idea of a special prosecutor.
"There's,
frankly, no need for a special prosecutor. We've discussed this
before," Spicer told reporters. "You have two Senate committees that are
looking into this, the FBI is conducting their own review. And -- and I
think if you even look at what Acting Director (Andrew) McCabe said
last week, he made it very clear that they have the resources that they
need and that the work continues."
Beyond
allegedly asking Comey to quit his investigation into Flynn -- who has
been a central focus of the FBI's investigation into contacts between
Trump associates and Russia -- Trump said in an interview with NBC last
week that he considered the "Russia thing with Trump and Russia' when he
decided to fire Comey.
Trump has called the FBI investigation into Russia a "hoax" and "taxpayer funded charade."
Rushed to Ashcroft's hospital room with Comey
The
appointment could be seen as a signal from Rosenstein. His independence
was quickly praised as news of his appointment spread, with many
recalling his famous refusal to bow to the demands of West Wing
officials during the Bush administration.
When
George W. Bush's White House chief of staff and White House counsel
sought to get an ailing Attorney General John Ashcroft to reauthorize a
warrantless domestic surveillance program that the Justice Department
had ruled illegal, Mueller and Comey rushed to the hospital to prevent
the Bush officials from taking advantage of Ashcroft.
Comey
made it there first, but as Mueller rushed to the hospital he called
Ashcroft's security detail and ordered them to prevent the top Bush
officials from kicking Comey out of the room.
Mueller
later threatened to resign alongside Comey, who was then serving as
deputy attorney general, over Bush administration officials' continued
attempts to reauthorize the program. They ultimately did not resign as
Bush sided with the Justice Department officials.
'Necessary' for 'full confidence' in investigation
Rosenstein
said he believes a special counsel "is necessary in order for the
American people to have full confidence in the outcome."
"In
my capacity as acting attorney general, I determined that it is in the
public interest for me to exercise my authority and appoint a Special
Counsel to assume responsibility for this matter," Rosenstein said in a
statement, adding that the decision is "not a finding that crimes have
been committed or that any prosecution is warranted."
"What
I have determined is that based upon the unique circumstances, 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 said.
Mueller was appointed FBI Director by President George W. Bush in 2001
and served until 2013, when Comey took over as head. He will resign
from his private law firm WilmerHale to avoid any conflicts of interest,
the Justice Department said.
This story is breaking and will be updated.
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