the deputy attorney general is the only one who can fire mueller

by Ulises Jaskolski 7 min read

Who has the authority to fire Mueller?

Jun 16, 2017 · Q: Can President Donald Trump fire special counsel Robert Mueller? A: Not directly. Only the deputy attorney general who appointed Mueller can fire him and only for cause. But Trump could fire the DAG, or order the special-counsel regulations repealed and …

Who is special counsel Robert Mueller and why was he appointed?

Jun 13, 2017 · “The attorney general is the one who has to fire him,” said CNN’s senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin on “Anderson Cooper 360.” “(Attorney General) Jeff Sessions is …

Can trump fire Mueller?

Nov 09, 2018 · He could also fire Mueller, though he is bound by Justice Department regulations that say he can only fire a special counsel “for misconduct, …

Can a special counsel be removed from office by the AG?

Apr 11, 2018 · Most constitutional scholars argue that only the deputy US attorney general, Rod Rosenstein, has the power to dismiss the special counsel. "We've been advised that the president certainly has the...

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FULL QUESTION

Can the president fire the special council himself or does he need the acting FBI director to do the firing at the president’s bidding?

FULL ANSWER

When a confidant of President Trump said on PBS on June 12 that the president was “considering perhaps terminating the special counsel,” it set off a wave of speculation about the political fallout of such a move. It also raised the question, “Can he?”

Sources

White House Website. “ Transcript: Press Gaggle by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Sanders en route Washington, D.C. ” 13 Jun 2017.

Who has the authority to fire Mueller?

But Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, the administration official who actually has the authority to fire Mueller, threw cold water on that prospect in Senate testimony Tuesday morning. Rosenstein explained how he interpreted Mueller’s authority, the regulations governing the special counsel’s office, and how he viewed his investigation so far.

Can Mueller be fired?

Under the regulation, special counsel Mueller may be fired only for good cause. And I am required to put that cause in writing. And so that’s what I would do — if there were good cause, I would consider it. If there were not good cause, it wouldn’t matter to me what anybody says.

Did Rosenstein fire Mueller?

Essentially, Rosenstein is saying he would not approach a presidential order to fire Mueller in the same way that he approached the president’s request to come up with a pretext for firing FBI Director James Comey.

Story highlights

Can President Donald Trump dismiss special counsel Robert Mueller, who is appointed to lead the FBI investigation into Russia’s potential ties to the 2016 election?

Who can fire Mueller?

Technically, it’s up to the attorney general to decide what to do with the special counsel.

Why would Trump consider firing Mueller?

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 11: FBI Director Robert Mueller appears before a House Select Intelligence committee on Capitol Hill, April 11, 2013 in Washington, DC. The committee is hearing testimony on worldwide threats facing the United States. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Would there be a Russian investigation if Mueller is fired?

US Representative from California Adam Schiff, ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, speaks to the press about the investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on March 24, 2017.

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