Calls for a special counsel have increased since Trump fired FBI director James Comey last week. Former FBI Director Robert Mueller. Credit:AP "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," Rosenstein said in a statement. "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." He said Mueller had agreed to resign from his private law firm to avoid any conflict of interest.

Democrats and Republicans alike praised Mueller's appointment and hailed his integrity and reputation. Rod Rosenstein, deputy attorney general, has appointed a special counsel to investigate possible Russian interference in the election. Credit:Bloomberg Mueller is known as "Bobby Three Sticks" by some because of his full name, Robert Mueller III - a moniker that belies the formal bearing and no-nonsense style of the former Marine Corps officer who was decorated during the Vietnam War. In a high-drama episode in 2004, he and then-Deputy Attorney General James Comey were preparing to resign from their positions if President Bush reauthorised the National Security Agency's warrantless wiretap program without changes. Bush backed down. The investigation will look into links between Donald Trump and Russian officials. Credit:Susan Walsh

Rosenstein is overseeing the Russia probe after Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself. Democrats have challenged Rosenstein's impartiality in the Russia probe because he wrote a memorandum used as the rationale for Comey's firing. In the memo, Rosenstein said Comey had violated longstanding Justice Department practices in his handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server, but shortly after the announcement of the firing the President said he'd decided to fire Comey before he received the recommendation from Rosenstein. Under the order signed Wednesday by Rosenstein, Mueller is tasked with investigating "any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump" as well as "any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation" and any other matters that fall under the scope of the Justice Department regulation covering special counsel appointments. "If the special counsel believes it is necessary and appropriate, the special counsel is authorised to prosecute federal crimes arising from the investigation of these matters," the order states. Officials said the appointment was being made under a Justice Department statute that has only been used once, in 1999, though the Justice Department has made other special counsel appointments more recently under different authority.

Peter Zeidenberg, who has worked for a past special counsel, called Mueller an "inspired choice" because he comes to the job with automatic credibility among both parties. Loading "He's nominally a Republican, but he's really not a political person at all," said Zeidenberg, a lawyer now in private practice, who cautioned that such an investigation is likely to take a long time, and may not ultimately satisfy the public's demand for a full accounting. "People are waiting for public answers to what happened, but that's not his job. There won't be a report or a press conference at the end of this from him, that's not his role." Washington Post