WASHINGTON ― The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced a bill Thursday to protect special counsel Robert Mueller from being fired by President Donald Trump. The bill, which passed 14 to 7, would impose restrictions on the U.S. attorney general’s ability to fire a special counsel. Trump doesn’t have the authority to fire Mueller himself, but he could direct Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to do it (since Attorney General Jeff Sessions has recused himself from the case). In the meantime, the president has repeatedly and publicly harassed Mueller and questioned his probe, calling it a ”witch hunt,” a ”total witch hunt″ and illegal. Most of Thursday’s hearing centered on a debate about the constitutionality of Congress’ curbing certain executive powers.

Source: Huffington Post April 26, 2018 16:07 UTC