WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump’s closest allies are attacking the integrity of those involved in the widening probe of Russian interference in the U.S. election, accusing special counsel Robert Mueller of driving a biased investigation. Trump himself took aim Friday at the senior Justice Department official responsible for appointing Mueller, accusing him on Twitter of leading a “Witch Hunt.”
The rising criticism puts a new focus on the relationships between the president, special counsel and the Justice Department, especially as questions loom over whether Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein will recuse himself from overseeing Mueller’s probe. Some questions and answers about what could happen:
HOW DID WE GET HERE?
Rosenstein appointed former Mueller, a former FBI director, in May while facing questions about his role in the firing of FBI Director James Comey. Rosenstein had written a scathing memo criticizing Comey’s handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation, which the White House initially cited as the impetus for Comey’s ouster. But Trump later said in a television interview that he fired Comey at least in part because he was frustrated over the Russia investigation Comey was leading. Comey later revealed that he orchestrated a disclosure of details about conversations with Trump to prompt the appointment of a special counsel.
Rosenstein was the one to make the decision because Attorney General Jeff Sessions had already recused himself from the Russia investigation. That happened after Sessions disclosed previously unreported contacts with the Russian ambassador during the 2016 presidential campaign.