Rosenstein at DoJ appoints Special Counsel to oversee Russia investigation!!

[Blue3]

Rosenstein at DoJ appoints Special Counsel to oversee Russia investigation!!

[The Other Castro]

Former FBI Director Robert Mueller.

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https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/17/us/politics/robert-mueller-special-counsel-russia-investigation.html?_r=0

[The_Doctor]

Is this good or bad?

Not clear yet. Could give the investigation some autonomy but still ultimately reports to Rodstein and the DOJ and the President by extension.

[I Won - Get Over It]

Is this good or bad?

Not clear yet. Could give the investigation some autonomy but still ultimately reports to Rodstein and the DOJ and the President by extension.

What's wrong with that?

[Suburbia]

Good,  it's time.

[The_Doctor]

Is this good or bad?

Not clear yet. Could give the investigation some autonomy but still ultimately reports to Rodstein and the DOJ and the President by extension.

What's wrong with that?

I'm not sure I trust the Sessions-led Department of Justice not to screw with the investigation. Rodstein did a lot of damage to his reputation by going along with the plot to fire Comey. Rodstein may be compromised, may not be.

Sessions is clearly involved with the investigation, despite his "recusal." However, this may be a step in the right direction and may preserve important evidence. We'll see.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Per Mark Murray on Twitter, the special counsel will have the power to file charges.

[KingSweden]

Bob Mueller is an exceptional choice for this task, IMO

[GeorgiaModerate]

Manafort and Flynn are primary targets of the investigation.

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[Middle-aged Europe]

Would be hilarious if Trump decides to fire Rosenstein tonight.

[ProudModerate2]

Maybe the trump administration (via Rosenstein and the DoJ) wanted to jump in first with a "special" or independent counsel/commission, so as to give the R's in congress "the cover" they need, to argue against a duplicated need for their own congressional independent commission.
This way trump (the administration) has more "control" over the investigation, and all of the developments and information that might reach the general public.

Tricky move ?

[Gass3268]

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[Cory]

Is there any meaningful difference between a Special Prosecutor and a Special Counsel? Or is it just a different way of phrasing the same thing?

[Statilius the Epicurean]

Maybe the trump administration (via Rosenstein and the DoJ) wanted to jump in first with a "special" or independent counsel/commission, so as to give the R's in congress "the cover" they need, to argue against a duplicated need for their own congressional independent commission.
This way trump (the administration) has more "control" over the investigation, and all of the developments and information that might reach the general public.

Tricky move ?

If this is the Trump administration wanting to spike the investigation then I doubt they would appoint a career FBI official and Comey ally to do it.

[Mike Thick]

This is a brilliant move -- assuages concerns to a point, and will likely blot out coverage of the Comey memo, at least temporarily.

[Gass3268]

There is a difference between Special Counsel and an Independent Counsel:

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Trump could still fire him if he pleases.

[GeorgiaModerate]

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[I Won - Get Over It]

Trump said he wanted to speed up the investigation so it can't be use by Democrats forever.

He is delivering it now.

[Angrie]

Bob Mueller is an exceptional choice for this task, IMO

Yeah. There was a thread last week after Comey was fired saying who should be appointed the new FBI director, and I suggested Mueller, or another former FBI director (maybe like Louis Freeh).

So this seems to me basically exactly what is needed - it is the perfect choice because, as the former FBI director, this basically adds an exclamation point to the fact that this is partly about upholding the independence and non-partisanship of the FBI and the concept of the rule of law more generally.

Now we just need the new FBI director to be someone of similar stature, experience, fairness, independence, and widespread respect.

[Mike Thick]

This is a brilliant move -- assuages concerns to a point, and will likely blot out coverage of the Comey memo, at least temporarily.

Taking this back, at least for the time being, since it seems like Trump may not have been involved in this decision.

[Cory]

There is a difference between Special Counsel and an Independent Counsel:

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Trump could still fire him if he pleases.

So this is all a gag? Or what?

[adrac]

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Good to hear.

[GeorgiaModerate]

WaPo reporting Kevin McCarthy a month before the election told his colleagues Trump could be receiving payments from Russia.

Already in its own thread: https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=264488.0

[I Won - Get Over It]

This is a brilliant move -- assuages concerns to a point, and will likely blot out coverage of the Comey memo, at least temporarily.

Taking this back, at least for the time being, since it seems like Trump may not have been involved in this decision.

But he is appointed by Justice Department. Could it really have happened without Sessions?

[GeorgiaModerate]

This is a brilliant move -- assuages concerns to a point, and will likely blot out coverage of the Comey memo, at least temporarily.

Taking this back, at least for the time being, since it seems like Trump may not have been involved in this decision.

But he is appointed by Justice Department. Could it really have happened without Sessions?

Rosenstein made the appointment (presumably because Sessions is recused).