The Justice Department's appointment of Mueller as a special counsel is an acknowledgment of growing public demands to place the politically charged inquiry into the hands of an outside investigator with bipartisan support. "I accept this responsibility and will discharge it to the best of my ability," Mueller said in a statement. As special counsel, Mueller will direct an FBI counterintelligence investigation examining whether Russia coordinated with Trump campaign associates to influence the election in his behalf, and he will have authority to charge those involved in any crimes uncovered. The mandate extends beyond any specific Trump-Russia connection to cover "any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation." The White House counsel was notified after the special counsel order was signed.

Source: The China Post May 18, 2017 01:18 UTC