DOJ appoints special prosecutor to take over Russia investigation

The Justice Department on Wednesday appointed a special prosecutor to oversee the ongoing investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

Robert Mueller, who led the FBI for 12 years during the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations, will serve as special counsel, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said in a statement. The announcement comes after the revelation Tuesday night that former FBI Director James Comey kept detailed notes of his conversations with President Trump, including when Trump allegedly asked Comey to drop his Russia-linked investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.

The FBI has been investigating hacking into emails to hurt Hillary Clinton, a Russian campaign of spreading fake news before the election, and whether associates of Trump colluded with Russia during the campaign.

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