Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) on Friday applauded the Justice Department's move to appoint former FBI Director Robert Mueller as a special prosecutor to spearhead the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.



"It was a very good move and I think it came at the right time," Cummings, the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, said in an interview with CNN.

"I think the best thing that happened ... was to have someone like Mueller to come in, who I also know, who has a stellar reputation for no nonsense," he added.



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He called the entire situation surrounding the Russia investigations "a mess."



"Somebody asked me to describe what's going on in Washington with regard to the investigations, and I can only say it's a mess," he said.



Although Cummings doubted the possibility that the special prosecutor will ask Congress to step away from the investigation, he maintained that he would still do so if Mueller made the request.



"I believe that he will bring us all together ... and try to work out something," he said.





Cummings noted that there are actually three separate investigations relating to Russia that include an examination of Moscow's efforts to interfere in the 2016 election and the potential ties between Trump campaign aides and Russian officials.