[ti:How Much Independence Will Special Counsel Have?] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein gave his reason for naming a special counsel [00:07.52]to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 election: trust. [00:14.91]Rosenstein said it is important Americans "have full confidence" [00:21.76]in the "outcome" of the Russia investigation. [00:26.64]For that to happen, Rosenstein said, he needed to name a person [00:32.64]"who exercises a degree of independence from the normal chain of command." [00:40.12]That person is Robert Mueller, a former federal prosecutor and FBI director. [00:47.60]His selection Wednesday was praised by both Democrats and Republicans. [00:55.20]Rosenstein's order says Mueller can investigate Russia's efforts [01:01.20]to interfere with the presidential election, [01:04.68]possible connections between Russia and Trump campaign officials [01:09.52]and any other matters that "arise directly from the investigation." [01:16.64]Mueller will have more independence than the 94 U.S. attorneys [01:24.20]who normally oversee criminal investigations. [01:29.52]But he won't have complete independence. [01:34.96]Mueller, unlike other federal prosecutors, [01:38.72]will not be subject to day-to-day supervision [01:43.64]by the attorney general and other Justice Department officials. [01:49.24]But the deputy attorney general can overrule [01:53.60]his "prosecutorial or investigative decisions." [02:01.20]Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, is overseeing the Russian investigation [02:08.72]because Attorney General Jeff Sessions removed himself. [02:14.28]Sessions withdrew because he worked on the Trump campaign and met with Russian officials. [02:24.76]Mueller's appointment came after some unexpected developments in the Russia investigation. [02:33.24]Last week, President Donald Trump dismissed FBI Director James Comey, [02:39.72]who was overseeing the FBI's collection of evidence. [02:45.32]The dismissal was followed by reports claiming that Trump had asked Comey [02:51.08]to drop an investigation of his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn. [02:57.88]Another report said Trump had asked Comey if he would be "loyal" to him. [03:04.27]The White House denied both claims but some Democrats [03:09.68]say Trump should be investigated for obstruction of justice. [03:15.84]John Barrett is a law professor at St. John's University in New York. [03:22.96]Barrett had earlier worked for a special federal prosecutor. [03:28.80]He said obstruction of justice is a complex law. [03:36.72]Among other things, it makes it a crime to obstruct, [03:42.24]influence or impede any official proceeding for corrupt reasons. [03:51.56]Barrett said Trump's actions should be investigated. [03:56.52]It will depend on whether Comey and others saw Trump's comments as threats, Barrett said. [04:05.48]Special counsels have only been named twice. [04:10.92]The last time was in 2003 when prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald [04:18.28]investigated who leaked the identity of a CIA officer, Valerie Plame. [04:27.60]“Watergate” is the best known case involving a special prosecutor. [04:33.76]Archibald Cox was appointed to investigate [04:38.40]whether President Richard Nixon had obstructed justice. [04:43.92]The case centered on whether Nixon covered up [04:48.36]his administration's involvement in the 1973 break-in [04:54.48]at Democratic headquarters in the Watergate building. [04:59.28]Nixon resigned from office in 1974 [05:04.80]-- as Congress was ready to begin proceedings to remove him from office. [05:13.56]Another well-known case was the investigation of President Bill Clinton by Kenneth Starr. [05:21.08]It started out as an investigation into a real estate deal known as Whitewater. [05:27.80]But it led to Starr reporting that Clinton had covered up an affair with a White House intern. [05:36.00]Special prosecutors had more independence than a special counsel, [05:40.68]the job Mueller now has. [05:43.36]But the law establishing the prosecutor position ended in 1999. [05:50.72]The Mueller investigation probably will not be finished quickly. [05:55.48]The Washington Post reported that, on average, [05:59.40]previous investigations by special counsels or prosecutors took a little over three years. [06:07.92]Ari Fleischer, the press secretary during the George W. Bush administration, [06:13.80]tweeted Thursday that Mueller will not take any more time than needed. [06:20.56]"Starr was 48 when named special prosecutor," he tweeted. [06:26.48]"Fitzgerald was 43 when named special counsel. [06:30.67]Mueller is 72. He won't want this to take years." [06:37.56]I'm Bruce Alpert. [06:39.40]And I'm Anne Ball. [06:41.48]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM