Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs
________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Appointment of Special Counsel
Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein today announced the appointment of former Department of Justice official and
FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III to serve as Special Counsel to oversee the previously-confirmed FBI investigation of
Russian government efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election and related matters.
“In my capacity as acting Attorney General, I determined that it is in the public interest for me to exercise my
authority and appoint a Special Counsel to assume responsibility for this matter,” said Deputy Attorney General
Rosenstein. “My decision is not a finding that crimes have been committed or that any prosecution is warranted. I have
made no such determination. What I have determined is that based upon the unique circumstances, the public interest
requires me to place this investigation under the authority of a person who exercises a degree of independence from the
normal chain of command.”
Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein added, “Each year, the career professionals of the U.S. Department of Justice conduct
tens of thousands of criminal investigations and handle countless other matters without regard to partisan political
considerations. I have great confidence in the independence and integrity of our people and our processes. Considering
the unique circumstances of this matter, however, I determined that a Special Counsel is necessary in order for the
American people to have full confidence in the outcome. Our nation is grounded on the rule of law, and the public must
be assured that government officials administer the law fairly. Special Counsel Mueller will have all appropriate
resources to conduct a thorough and complete investigation, and I am confident that he will follow the facts, apply the
law and reach a just result.”
Special Counsel Mueller has agreed to resign from his private law firm in order to avoid any conflicts of interest with
firm clients or attorneys.
A copy of the order is attached.
Attachment(s):
Scoop copy: order_39152017_special_counsel_0.pdf