Two former Connecticut U.S. attorneys have commented on special counsel Robert Mueller’s legal team investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Former U.S. Attorney Deirdre Daly, who was an Obama administration appointee, is defending the membership of the team that includes a number of Democratic lawyers.
“There could be a perception, which is probably completely unfair, but there could be a perception that they’re biased against the President, and the President has talked about that a lot, talking about the team of Democrats – the team of 13 that’s going after him – to try and undermine the fact that they’re an independent team.”
Former U.S. Attorney Kevin O’Connor, who was appointed by the George W. Bush administration, doesn’t doubt that the Mueller team will be objective and independent. But O’Connor says the number of Democratic lawyers on the team provides unnecessary ammunition for the Trump defense.
“I think by picking a fair number of great prosecutors – and they’re great prosecutors – who had a demonstrated political engagement with the President’s opponent, they have created an unnecessary distraction that allows the President to call into question the prosecutors’ motives.”
O’Connor and Daly were speaking at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford.
