Former FBI Director Robert Mueller named special counsel in Russia probe

The Trump administration appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller Wednesday evening as a special counsel to oversee the federal investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. The appointment comes after Democrats demanded that someone outside Trump’s Justice Department handle the investigation, while an increasing number of Republicans have called for Congress to investigate further into possible Russian involvement, especially after President Donald Trump last week fired FBI Director James Comey, who had been leading the bureau’s probe. Comey succeeded Mueller as FBI director in 2013.