A federal judge has dismissed a case that challenged the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. The case, brought by a group of conservative activists, alleged that Mueller’s appointment was unconstitutional because he was not appointed by a Senate-confirmed official.
The judge, Dabney Friedrich, ruled that the case lacked standing because the plaintiffs could not show that they had been directly harmed by Mueller’s appointment. In her decision, Judge Friedrich stated that the appointment of a special counsel is not a “reviewable” action and that the plaintiffs did not have the legal right to challenge it.
The case, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, centered around the argument that Mueller’s appointment violated the Appointments Clause of the Constitution. The Clause requires that certain high-ranking government officials be appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate.
The plaintiffs in the case, who included a former Reagan White House official and a former Trump campaign adviser, argued that Mueller’s appointment by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein was unconstitutional because Rosenstein is not a Senate-confirmed official. They also claimed that Mueller’s investigation was biased against President Trump and that it was based on false information.
However, Judge Friedrich rejected these arguments, stating that the plaintiffs did not have the legal standing to challenge Mueller’s appointment. She also noted that the Special Counsel regulations, which were put in place in 1999, give the Attorney General the authority to appoint a special counsel without Senate confirmation.
The dismissal of this case is a significant victory for Special Counsel Robert Mueller and his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. It reaffirms the legality of his appointment and the authority of the Justice Department to appoint special counsels to investigate matters of national importance.
President Trump has repeatedly criticized Mueller’s investigation as a “witch hunt” and has called for it to be shut down. However, this latest legal decision upholds the legitimacy of the investigation and allows Mueller to continue his work without interference.
It remains to be seen whether the plaintiffs in this case will appeal the judge’s decision. But for now, the dismissal of this case is a win for the rule of law and the integrity of the special counsel’s investigation.