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[Nazgul_Hunter]

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Justice Department to appoint special counsel to take over Russia probe


Former FBI director Robert Mueller will be appointed as special counsel to take over the Russia investigation.

The appointment was made by Rod Rosenstein, deputy attorney general.

The move comes amid concerns about the independence of the investigation.

Bowing to public and Congressional pressure, Deputy U.S. Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed former FBI Director Bob Mueller on Wednesday to be a special counsel overseeing the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 campaign, Justice Department officials said.

Mueller will take command of the prosecutors and FBI agents who are working on the far reaching Russia investigation, which spans multiple FBI field offices on both coasts.

Mueller led the FBI for 12 years under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

The FBI, with the help of the Treasury Department, the CIA and other agencies, has been examining evidence of possible contacts, money transfers and business relationships between a variety of President Trump's associates and Russian officials, sources say.

The investigation goes well beyond a possible American connection, to include how Russian intelligence services carried out the campaign of fake news and leaking hacked emails that intelligence officials say was meant to hurt Hillary Clinton and benefit Trump.

....

The last special counsel was Patrick Fitzgerald, who was tapped in 2003 to investigate the leaking of a CIA operative's name.

Link

 

[Arrogant Bastard]

 

[Spoiled Milk]

Next step: select committee.

 

[fastmower]

Wow. Big news.

 

[def sim]

Legitimately surprising.

 

[Hylian7]

This is fucking huge.

 

[RPGCrazied]

Just like that? Probably made him drink the Trump kool aid before announcing this. Smells fishy.

 

[ShadowSwordmaster]

Let's do this.

 

[Arrogant Bastard]

Legitimately surprising.

Honestly not after the Comey memo.

 

[Takamura-San]

How do we feel about this guy?

 

[lightning2k3]

It's happening.

 

[Velcro Fly]

No one is above the law, Mr. Trump

 

[Amir0x]

Finally

 

[hydrophilic attack]

That is an unfortunately cropped thread title

 

[slit]

Trump will get off and this will amount to nothing.

Spoiler

Actually Trump is fucked.

 

[IceBringer]

Shiiiiit son

 

[SlipperyFishes]

Does this mean if the DOJ appointed him, that means Sessions approved him?

 

[andythinkpad]

So who is this Mulder guy? R or D?

 

[NealMcCauley]

Is this today's big news drop?

 

[ForsakenLotus]

This is great news. If Congress doesn't step up their investigations very soon an independent counsel will also be necessary. I'm for it now, but I understand why Congress would be so apprehensive.

 

[suedester]

Does this differ to a special prosecutor?

 

[Nazgul_Hunter]

That is an unfortunately cropped thread title

Mods can abuse if they want.

 

[Ourobolus]

Rosenstein picked him, right? I'm legit surprised.

 

[giga]

 

[Nobility]

Well, this is a huge development.

Get your lawyers ready...

 

[Tovarisc]

Does this mean if the DOJ appointed him, that means Sessions approved him?

No it doesn't

 

[BobTheFork]

Who appointed him? I honestly don't know but I thought special counsel was something the R's were trying to avoid....or is that a special investigator or prosecutor?

 

[Inyourprime]

Great news.

 

[polyh3dron]

is it happening yet?

i think it's happening.

 

[TheAbsolution]

Hooooly shit. Oh my goodness.

 

[DeviantBoi]

Any difference between special and independent counsel?

 

[jellies_two]

Rod rosenstein grows a spine!

 

[NullPointer]

 

[Laevateinn]

 

[Roland_Gunner]

How do we feel about this guy?

Comey was his assistant for years when Mueller ran the FBI. If nothing else, he isn't going to be in a forgiving mood when it comes to Trump

 

[commedieu]

Crazy everyone is taking a 4chan hoax so seriously...

 

[everyday math]

Please something come out of this please

 

[RoKKeR]

This train doesn't stop.

 

[Cesare Borgia]

How do we feel about this guy?

He's a loyal g-man, likely disgusted by Comey's firing. I'd trust him.

Stunned DOJ did this. I wonder when Trump found out about this? Sessions hitting eject lol?

 

[RPGCrazied]

Time to read up on him!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Mueller

Wonder if this in the end makes Trump resign under the immense pressure.

 

[plagiarize]

But nothing's going to come of any of this right guys?

HAHAHAHAHAHA.

6 pm breaking news is THE BEST FUCKING THING.

 

[Blader]

So who is this Mulder guy? R or D?

He was FBI director before Comey. He's served across the Bush and Obama administrations.

 

[Hickbilly Deluxe]

On one hand, Trump shouldn't be president as he's a fucking loon at best.

On the other hand, watching people howl and screech if this turns up nothing will be entertaining.

I'm kinda torn here...

 

[giga]

Independent counsel/special prosecutor:

Congress may also have a legislative role in designing a statutory mechanism for the appointment of “independent counsels” or “special prosecutors,” as it did in title VI of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978. Under the provisions of that law relating to the appointment of “independent counsels” (called “special prosecutors” until 1983), the Attorney General was directed to petition a special three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals to name an independent counsel upon the receipt of credible allegations of criminal misconduct by certain high-level personnel in the executive branch of the federal government whose prosecution by the Administration might give rise to an appearance of a conflict of interest. In 1999, Congress allowed the “independent counsel” provisions of law to expire. Upon the expiration of the law in June of 1999, no new “independent counsels” or “special prosecutors” may be appointed by a three-judge panel upon the application of the Attorney General.

Special counsel:

The Attorney General retains the general authority to designate or name individuals as “special counsels” to conduct investigations or prosecutions of particular matters or individuals on behalf of the United States. Under regulations issued by the Attorney General in 1999, the Attorney General may appoint a “special counsel” from outside of the Department of Justice who acts as a special employee of the Department of Justice under the direction of the Attorney General. The Attorney General, however, may also appoint an individual as a special counsel, and may invest that individual with a greater degree of independence and autonomy to conduct investigations and prosecutions, regardless of any “special counsel” regulations, as Attorneys General did in 1973, 1994, and 2003. In 1973, Attorney General Elliot Richardson named Archibald Cox to be the “special prosecutor” for the “Watergate” investigation; in 1994, during an earlier expiration of the independent counsel provisions of law, Attorney General Janet Reno named a “regulatory” independent counsel Robert Fisk to investigate allegations concerning the matter known as “Whitewater”; and in 2003, Attorney General Ashcroft recused himself from the investigation of the leak of the identity of a CIA agent, and Deputy Attorney General Comey named U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald to be special counsel “with all the authority of the Attorney General” to pursue that matter.

https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43112.pdf

 

[Nafai1123]

I don't think Rosenstein had a choice. He knew he was gonna be in deep shit if he had Comey's memos and still supported his firing.

 

[RustyNails]

....wow.

 

[F0rneus]

Orange golem of shit and vomit, with a cheap wig is about to go down isn't he?

 

[FZZ]

LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

[XMonkey]

Good, good.

Does this mean if the DOJ appointed him, that means Sessions approved him?

Sessions is (supposed to be) recused from the Russia investigation so this is Rosenstein's call directly.

 

[Kaban]

can't wait for T_D to conjure some fake backstory for Mueller.