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USA TODAY

The more we learn about Matthew Whitaker, the less he looks like attorney general material, or even acting attorney general material.

From the moment Whitaker was tapped last week to replace Jeff Sessions, who was forced out, it seemed his chief qualification was open hostility to special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election — a view shared by President Donald Trump.

In his new position, Whitaker oversees the investigation whose completion is critical to the nation. It's unclear whether his appointment was even constitutional, or how long he'll serve in the post. But even one day is too many. In addition to his skepticism about Mueller's inquiry, Whitaker has repeatedly shown he lacks the ethical compass and respect for the rule of law that's the most basic qualification to lead the nation's premier law enforcement agency:

► He has said there was nothing wrong with top Trump campaign officials, including Donald Trump Jr., meeting with Russians who claimed to have dirt on Hillary Clinton. "You would always take that meeting," Whitaker told CNN last year. Really? Common sense and patriotism suggest that in the middle of a presidential campaign, you don't take a meeting with Russians bearing dirt. You call the FBI.

► He asserted it wasn’t a problem last year when Trump — sounding more like mob boss than a president — sought fealty from then FBI director James Comey and asked him to go easy on Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn, and then fired Comey.

Opposing view:Matthew Whitaker is an excellent choice to lead Justice Department

► He believes judges should have a "biblical view of justice," as opposed to "a secular world view" — a comment he made when he was seeking a seat in the Senate, where he’d vote on the confirmation of federal judges. In fact, judges should rule independently based on the law, not on personal religious beliefs.

► He said courts are "supposed to be the inferior branch" of government, and among the worst Supreme Court rulings was Marbury v. Madison, the 1803 landmark decision that's the foundation of the court’s authority to rule on the constitutionality of laws.

► He sat on the advisory board of a Florida patent company accused in a Federal Trade Commission complaint, later settled, of bilking customers, including veterans. In 2015, Whitaker wrote a threatening letter to a complaining customer, noting his former role as U.S. Attorney in Iowa. That powerful office isn't meant to be used to frighten people for private purposes.

As these details emerged after Whitaker's appointment, Trump seemingly tried to distance himself from the choice. After telling Fox News last month, "I know Matt Whitaker," Trump reversed himself Friday, declaring, "I don’t know Matt Whitaker" except by reputation. Then, on Sunday, the president expressed "100 percent confidence" in Whitaker, according to aide Kellyanne Conway.

Normally, when an attorney general leaves, the acting job falls to the deputy attorney general or another Senate-confirmed appointee. Here, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who has overseen the Mueller investigation and shown no inclination to shut it down, was a nonstarter for Trump. That speaks volumes about Trump's intentions.

If Whitaker refuses to recuse himself from the Mueller inquiry or step aside altogether, only Congress and the public can ensure that he does not damage the Mueller investigation and the integrity of the Justice Department.

When the lame-duck Congress returns to Washington this week, the first order of business should be to pass legislation, approved last April with bipartisan support by the Senate Judiciary Committee, to protect the special counsel.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell continues to insist such legislation is unnecessary because of Trump's assurances that the investigation will be allowed to run its course. Maybe McConnell believes that Trump's word is his bond; the rest of us have reason to be highly skeptical.

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