Special Counsel named to head Russia investigation; White House caught by surprise (LA Times, May 17, 2017)

WH told about special prosecutor appointment moments before it went public (The Hill, May 17, 2017)

With Mueller as the special prosecutor, the White House has every reason to panic (Washington Post, May 17, 2017)

The Justice Department has decided to appoint a special counsel to investigate possible coordination between Trump associates and Russian officials seeking to meddle in last year’s election, according to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

Robert Mueller, a former prosecutor who served as the FBI director from 2001 to 2013, has agreed to serve in the role, Rosenstein said. The move marks a concession by the Trump administration to Democratic demands for the investigation to be run independently of the Justice Department. Calls for a special counsel have increased since Trump fired FBI Director James B. Comey last week.