WASHINGTON – Congressional Democrats want to ensure special counsel Robert Mueller stays on the job.
Mueller, who is looking into allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 election, has been hammered by critics inside and outside the Trump administration who accuse him of bias.
Last week, 171 House Democrats, including most of the Minnesota delegation, fired off a letter of support for Mueller, calling for measures to protect the special counsel against any attempts to fire him.
"This investigation is integral to fully understanding the Russian attack on our 2016 election, to learning how to better safeguard our electoral process, and to helping restore the American people's faith in our democracy," said Rep. Tim Walz, who joined other House Democrats at a news conference Thursday in support of Mueller. "It should continue unimpeded and follow the facts wherever they lead."
Walz is one of three Minnesota House members who have signed on to the so-called Special Counsel Independence Protection Act, which calls for strict limits on the grounds for firing a special counsel.
President Donald Trump has said repeatedly that he has no plans to fire Mueller, a former FBI director and a Republican, who has been leading the Justice Department's Russia probe since May.
But his allies and attorneys have worked to tar the investigation as biased and politically motivated.
Congressional lawmakers from both parties have generally called for the investigation to run its course. But to some, the steady drumbeat of criticism (earlier this month, the president's lawyers accused Mueller of illegally obtaining e-mails from his transition team) could lay the groundwork for a future move against Mueller by the administration.