NATION/WORLD
Thursday, May 18, 2017
East Oregonian
Page 7A
Special prosecutor abruptly named to probe Trump ties
WASHINGTON (AP) — The
Justice
Department
abruptly
appointed former FBI Director
Robert Mueller Wednesday night as
a special counsel to lead a federal
investigation into allegations that
Donald Trump’s campaign collabo-
rated with Russia to sway the 2016
election that put him in the White
House. Mueller will have sweeping
powers and the authority to prose-
cute any crimes he uncovers.
The surprise announcement to
hand the probe over to Mueller,
a lawman with deep bipartisan
respect, was a striking shift for
Trump’s Justice Department, which
had resisted increasingly loud calls
from Democrats for an outside
prosecutor. It immediately escalated
the legal stakes — and the potential
political damage — for a president
who has tried to dismiss the matter
as partisan witch hunt and a “hoax.”
The announcement, the latest
in the shock-a-day Washington
saga, was made by deputy Attorney
General Rod Rosenstein. The White
House counsel’s office was alerted
only after the order appointing
Mueller was signed, said a senior
White House official, who was
not authorized to speak publicly
by name and commented only on
condition of anonymity.
In a written statement, Trump
insisted anew there were no nefar-
ious ties between his campaign and
Russia.
“A thorough investigation will
confirm what we already know —
there was no collusion between my
campaign and any foreign entity,”
he declared. “I look forward to this
matter concluding quickly.”
Mueller’s broad mandate gives
him not only oversight of the Russia
probe, but also “any matters that
arose or may arise directly from the
investigation.” That would surely
include Trump’s firing last week of
FBI Director James Comey.
Mueller, a former federal pros-
ecutor at the Justice Department,
was confirmed as FBI director days
before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks
AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File
In this 2013 file photo, then-FBI director Robert Mueller speaks
during an interview at FBI headquarters in Washington. The
Justice Department appointed Mueller as a special counsel
to oversee a federal investigation into potential coordination
between Russia and the Trump campaign during the 2016
presidential election.
that would ultimately shape his
tenure. The FBI’s counterterror
mission was elevated in those years,
as the U.S. intelligence agencies
adjusted to better position America
to prevent another attack of such
magnitude. He was so valued that
President Barack Obama asked him
to stay on two years longer than his
10-year term.
Comey
succeeded
him,
appointed by Obama.
Mueller
was
appointed
Wednesday by Deputy Attorney
General Rod Rosenstein, who had
faced criticism as the author of
a memo that preceded Comey’s
firing. Rosenstein said the appoint-
ment was “necessary in order for
the American people to have full
confidence in the outcome.”
Republicans have largely stood
behind Trump in the first months
of his presidency as FBI and
congressional investigations into
Russia’s election meddling inten-
sified. But GOP lawmakers have
grown increasingly anxious since
Trump fired Comey, who had been
leading the bureau’s probe — and
after Comey associates said he
had notes from a meeting in which
Trump asked him to shut down the
investigation into the Russia ties of
former National Security Adviser
Michael Flynn.
First reactions from Congress
were mainly positive.
House Speaker Paul Ryan said
the appointment was consistent with
his goal of ensuring that “thorough
and independent investigations are
allowed to follow the facts wher-
ever they may lead.”
Republican Jason Chaffetz
of Utah, chairman of the House
Oversight Committee, said Mueller
was a “great selection. Impeccable
credentials. Should be widely
accepted.”
And not a moment too soon,
Democrats said.
“I believe Mueller will be
independent, he will be thorough
and he will be fair and he’s not
going to be easily swayed,” said
Elijah Cummings of Maryland, top
Democrat on the oversight panel.
Cummings has vigorously urged
such an appointment, suggesting
it could lead to accusations of
obstruction of justice.
In the 1990s, Democrats
complained that independent
counsel Kenneth Starr, who
investigated President Bill Clinton,
overstepped his authority.
The latest political storm,
coupled with the still-potent fallout
from Trump’s recent disclosure of
classified information to Russian
diplomats at the White House, has
overshadowed all else in the capital
and beyond. Stocks fell sharply on
Wall Street Wednesday as inves-
tors worried the latest turmoil in
Washington could hinder Trump’s
pro-business agenda
Trump has repeatedly slammed
the FBI and congressional
investigations as a “hoax” and
blamed disgruntled officials at
intelligence agencies for leaking
information related to the probes.
During a commencement address
Wednesday at the Coast Guard
Academy, he complained bitterly
about criticism he’s faced.
“No politician in history, and I
say this with great surety, has been
treated worse or more unfairly,” he
said. “You can’t let the critics and
the naysayers get in the way of your
dreams. ... I guess that’s why we
won. Adversity makes you stronger.
Don’t give in, don’t back down. ...
And the more righteous your fight,
the more opposition that you will
face.”
No less a commentator than
Russia’s Vladimir Putin called the
dramatic charges swirling around
Trump evidence of “political
schizophrenia spreading in the
U.S.” He offered to furnish a
“record” of the Trump-diplomats
meeting in the Oval Office if the
White House desired it.
There was no word on what
that record might entail, a question
many were likely to raise in light of
Trump’s recent warning to Comey
that he had “better hope” there were
no tapes of a discussion they’d had.
The White House has disputed
Comey’s account of his February
conversation
with
Trump
concerning Flynn but has not offered
specifics. Several congressional
Republicans said Wednesday that if
Trump did suggest that Comey “let
this go” regarding Flynn’s Russian
contacts, it was probably just a joke,
light banter.
Both of the explosive revelations
— that the president pressed his FBI
director to drop a federal investiga-
tion before later firing him, and that
he disclosed classified information
to senior Russian officials — came
from anonymous sources, and the
White House was quick to denounce
the leaks and deny any impropriety.
Trump aides said he never tried to
squelch the Flynn investigation nor
made inappropriate disclosures to
the Russians.
On Capitol Hill, Comey was
clearly the man in demand, with
three committees working to seat
him at their witness tables soon, two
in the Senate and one in the House.
The
Senate
intelligence
committee also asked acting FBI
Director Andrew McCabe to turn
over any notes Comey might have
made regarding discussions he
had with White House or Justice
Department officials about Russia’s
efforts to influence the election.
McCabe had other matters on
his mind, too. He was one of four
potential candidates to lead the FBI
that Trump was interviewing. The
others were former Connecticut
Sen. Joe Lieberman, former
Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating and
Richard McFeely, a former top FBI
official.
Trump is preparing to leave town
Friday on his first foreign trip, and
aides have been hopeful the journey
will be a chance for the administra-
tion to get back on track after weeks
of chaos and distractions.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.,
speculated Trump was probably
happy to get out of town — “and a
lot of us are glad he’s leaving for a
few days.”
BRIEFLY
With waiver, U.S.
lets Iran keep
getting benefits of
nuke deal
WASHINGTON (AP) —
The Trump administration
took a key step Wednesday
toward preserving the
Obama-era nuclear deal
with Iran, coupling the
move with fresh ballistic
missile sanctions to show
it isn’t going light on the
Islamic republic.
The State Department
said Iran would continue
to enjoy relief from
decades-old economic
measures punishing Tehran
for its nuclear program.
Under the 2015 nuclear
agreement, the U.S. lifted
those sanctions. But
Washington must issue
periodical waivers to keep
the penalties from snapping
back into place and the
most recent one was set to
expire this week.
Donald Trump as
a candidate vowed to
renegotiate or tear up the
nuclear deal. As president,
he has altered his position,
insisting he is still studying
the accord and hasn’t made
a final decision. The move
to extend the sanctions
relief in the meantime
was another indication
Trump may be laying the
groundwork to let the deal
stand.
Still, the U.S. paired the
announcement with new,
unrelated sanctions that
go after Iran for a ballistic
missiles program that
Washington fears could
target American interests
in the Middle East or key
allies such as Israel and
Saudi Arabia.
Wednesday’s sanctions
target Iranian military
officials along with an
Iranian company and
China-based network
accused of supplying
Iran with materials for
ballistic missiles, the State
Department said.
The dual moves —
ensuring old sanctions
on Iran don’t return
while imposing new
ones — appeared aimed at
undercutting the impression
that Trump’s stance on
Iran has softened. Since
taking office, Trump’s
administration has
sanctioned hundreds in
Iran and in Syria — an
Iranian ally — as part of
a campaign to increase
pressure on Iran even as it
reviews the nuclear deal.
Stuart Jones, the top
U.S. diplomat in charge
of the Middle East, said
the U.S. is still forming
a “comprehensive Iran
policy” that addresses
Iran’s support for Syrian
President Bashar Assad’s
government and militant
groups in Lebanon, Iraq
and Yemen.
Trump interviews
four candidates for
FBI director
WASHINGTON (AP)
— President Donald Trump
on Wednesday interviewed
four potential candidates
to lead the FBI, including
former Connecticut Sen.
Joe Lieberman, former
Oklahoma Gov. Frank
Keating and Andrew
McCabe, currently the
bureau’s acting director.
Trump also met with
Richard McFeely, a
former top FBI official.
Attorney General Jeff
Sessions participated in the
interviews.
The meetings came more
than a week after Trump
fired James Comey from his
post as FBI director.
Trump said Monday that
the search for a successor
to Comey was “moving
rapidly.” He also has said
he could name a candidate
by the end of the week,
before he departs Friday
afternoon on his first
overseas trip as president.
The Senate must confirm
whoever Trump nominates.
Press Secretary Sean
Spicer informed reporters
about the meetings as
Trump flew to Washington
after addressing U.S. Coast
Guard Academy graduates
in Connecticut.
Stocks, bonds drop
as Washington
turmoil roils
Wall Street
NEW YORK (AP) —
The brewing political crisis
in Washington rattled Wall
Street Wednesday, knocking
the Dow Jones industrial
average down more than
370 points and giving the
stock market its biggest
single-day slump in eight
months.
Investors worried that
President Donald Trump’s
pro-business agenda could
be hindered by fallout from
allegations that he asked the
FBI to end an investigation
into former National
Security Adviser Michael
Flynn.
The steep drop ended an
unusually long period of
calm for the markets, which
had been hovering near
all-time highs.
Financial stocks, which
had soared in the months
since the election, declined
the most as bond yields fell
sharply. Bonds, utilities
and gold rose as traders
shunned riskier assets. The
dollar fell.
“When you are at these
valuations, the market has
to reassess whether or not
the agenda is actually going
to be implemented,” said
Quincy Krosby, market
strategist at Prudential
Financial. “What you’re
seeing is a classic run
toward safety.”
The Standard & Poor’s
500 index had its biggest
drop since September,
sliding 43.64 points, or 1.8
percent, to 2,357.03. The
Dow lost 372.82 points, or
1.8 percent, to 20,606.93.
The Nasdaq composite
index, coming off setting
two consecutive record
highs, gave up 158.63
points, or 2.6 percent, to
6,011.24.
Immigrant arrests
soar under Trump,
fewer deported
SANTA ANA, Calif.
(AP) — U.S. immigration
arrests increased nearly 40
percent in early 2017 as
newly emboldened agents
under President Donald
Trump detained more than
40,000 people suspected of
being in the country illegally
— with a renewed focus on
immigrants without criminal
convictions.
The numbers released
by Acting Immigration
and Customs Enforcement
Director Thomas Homan
provide a snapshot of
how the new president is
carrying through on his
campaign promises to make
immigration enforcement a
top priority.
Overall, 41,300
people were arrested for
deportation, a 38 percent
increase from a comparable
period last year. Nearly
11,000 had no criminal
convictions, more than
double the number of
immigrants without criminal
convictions arrested during a
comparable period last year.
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Homan said the increase
in arrests stems from stepped
up immigration enforcement,
adding that morale has
improved among agents
under Trump because they
are “allowed to do their job.”
“Their job is to enforce
the law, and that is exactly
what they’re doing, he said.
Even so, deportations
were down from late
January to late April
compared with a year ago
despite the new president’s
stepped up immigration
enforcement pledge.
The increase in arrests
of people without criminal
convictions has generated
outrage across the U.S.
from Trump opponents
who believe otherwise
law-abiding families are
being rounded up.
The report was made
public as the Trump
administration seeks to
promote its accomplishments
despite a growing scandal
over the firing of the FBI
director and the sharing of
intelligence with Russian
officials.