The Department of Justice has appointed former FBI director Robert Mueller as special prosecutor to investigate alleged ties between the 2016 presidential campaign of Donald Trump and Russian operatives.
A spokesperson for attorney general Jeff Sessions confirmed the appointment to the Guardian late on Wednesday.
Mueller, 72, was appointed FBI director by President George W Bush and served 12 years, including for the majority of Barack Obama’s presidency.
Deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein made the decision to appoint the prosecutor, which was not mandated by law. The Trump administration presented a letter in which Rosenstein found fault with the performance of former FBI director James Comey as a central factor in Comey’s firing last week.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/may/17/trump-russia-investigation-special-counsel-robert-mueller-fbi