House Democrats rally to protect Special
Counsel Mueller
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[December 22, 2017]
By Sarah N. Lynch
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats in the
U.S. House of Representatives rallied behind Special Counsel Robert
Mueller on Thursday, after recent attempts by Republicans and
conservative news outlets to discredit him and his probe into Russian
interference in the 2016 presidential election.
In a letter sent to Justice Department Deputy Attorney General Rod
Rosenstein, 171 of the 193 Democrats in the House said they support
Mueller's probe, and urged Rosenstein to let it continue "unfettered by
political influence or threats to his authority."
"We will not stand by and allow Fox News and right-wing Republicans to
defy the rule of law and create their own rules to interfere with the
legitimate investigation under the Constitution of the United States,"
California Democrat Maxine Waters said during a press conference
Thursday.

"There is an organized effort by Republicans ... to spin a false
narrative and conjure up outrageous scenarios to accuse Special Counsel
Mueller of being biased," she added.
Rosenstein appointed Mueller as Special Counsel in May, after President
Donald Trump fired former FBI Director James Comey for what Trump later
said was "this Russia thing." Critics promptly accused the president of
trying to obstruct the probe.
Mueller is investigating whether Trump's presidential campaign colluded
with Russia to interfere with the election. Russia has denied meddling
and Trump has said there was no collusion.
Republican criticism of Mueller, himself a member of their party, has
intensified in recent months since he charged four of Trump's close
associates, including former campaign manager Paul Manafort and former
National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.
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Special Counsel Robert Mueller departs after briefing the U.S.
House Intelligence Committee on his investigation of potential
collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign on Capitol Hill in
Washington, U.S., June 20, 2017. REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein

Republicans and talk show hosts on Fox News have accused Mueller's
team and the Federal Bureau of Investigation of bias, citing issues
including anti-Trump text messages exchanged between two FBI
staffers who previously worked on Mueller's team.
House Republicans have launched their own investigation into the
FBI's handling of Hillary Clinton's emails, and questioned whether
she received favorable treatment after no charges were brought.
Recently, rumors have flown around Washington that Trump may be
seeking to have Mueller fired. Trump's lawyers have said that is not
true.
Rosenstein, also a Republican, oversees Mueller's team. He can only
fire Mueller for good cause, and he told Congress last week he sees
no legitimate basis for doing so.
"This investigation must continue unimpeded," House Judiciary
Committee Ranking Democrat Jerrold Nadler said Thursday. Nadler said
Republicans were trying to "provide cover for the President as the
walls close in on him."
(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by David Gregorio)
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