Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Wednesday said special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation should be allowed to finish, reiterating what has been a mantra for Senate Republicans this year.
The GOP leader, however, said legislation to protect Mueller from interference by President Trump or his new acting attorney general Matthew Whitaker is unnecessary, an argument he has made before.
“There’s been no indication — as you can imagine, I speak to the president fairly often — no indication the Mueller investigation will not be allowed to finish and it should be allowed to finish,” McConnell said.
Asked if former Attorney General Jeff Sessions’s resignation under pressure might have changed his mind at all about the need for legislation to protect Mueller, McConnell answered with an exasperated “no.”
“We know how the president feels about the Mueller investigation but he’s never said he wants to shut it down. I’ve never heard anybody down there say they want to shut it down. I think it’s in no danger so I don’t think any legislation is necessary,” he said, referring to what he knows about conversations at the White House.
McConnell made his comments on the same day that two colleagues, Sens. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) and Chris Coons (R-Del.), said they would ask for unanimous consent to vote on the Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act.
The bill was co-authored by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and passed the Judiciary Committee in April.
The legislation codifies Department of Justice regulations mandating that a special counsel can only be fired for good cause and can only be fired by a senior Justice Department official.
It would also create a 10-day review period during which a judge would determine whether a special counsel’s termination was justified.