President Trump declared the investigation into possible Russian meddling in the 2016 election as a “witch hunt,” in an early morning Thursday tweet.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/865173176854204416
The Justice Department appointed Robert Mueller, who preceded James Comey as head of the FBI, to serve as a special counsel overseeing the investigation on Wednesday. The president claimed that the Clinton campaign and Obama administration committed “illegal acts” but never received a special counsel.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/865169927644340224
Mueller’s appointment could signal a turning point in the investigation into Russia’s role in the presidential election and raises the stakes for President Trump. His firing of Former FBI Director James Comey last week intensified questions about whether he was trying to cover up collusion between his campaign and Russia.
“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,” Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said in a statement on Wednesday. “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.”
Through his law firm, WilmerHale, Mueller told TheWrap in a statement: “I accept this responsibility and will discharge it to the best of my ability.”
The decision comes just one day after the New York Times reported that the president attempted to shut down an FBI investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn by telling Comey to “let it go,” and just two days after the Washington Post reported that Trump revealed highly classified information in a meeting last week with Russian officials.