Trump-appointed judge upholds special counsel Mueller's authority

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https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/13/politics/robert-mueller-concord-management-and-consulting/index.html

Judge Dabney Friedrich, who serves at the trial-court level in DC federal court, said Concord Management and Consulting could not have its case tossed on constitutional grounds. The Russian company accused of backing a social media effort to sway voters against Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton claimed Mueller didn't have power to bring the case because he was not appointment by the President and confirmed by Congress. Mueller was appointed under the authority of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who has broad power as the acting head of the Justice Department for the 2016 election probe.


"The appointment does not violate core separation-of-powers principles. Nor has the Special Counsel exceeded his authority under the appointment order by investigating and prosecuting Concord," Friedrich wrote in an opinion published Monday morning. She was one of the first judges Trump placed into a federal court position.