Newt Gingrich is no longer confident in Robert Mueller’s ability to lead an impartial investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election, and whether Russian officials colluded with the Trump campaign. The former speaker of the house was initially pleased with the DOJ’s decision to hire Mueller as special counsel for the investigation. Yet, once Gingrich checked Federal Election Commission reports and saw where Mueller’s employees’ loyalties lie, he sees one too many red flags.
Republicans are delusional if they think the special counsel is going to be fair. Look who he is hiring.check fec reports. Time to rethink.
— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) June 12, 2017
As The Hill notes, several of Mueller’s staff members have donated to Democratic campaigns.
Justice Department Deputy Solicitor General Michael Dreeben donated in 2008 to a political action committee for then-Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama as well as a PAC for Hillary Clinton in 2006.
Jeannie Rhee, who previously served as a deputy assistant attorney general and now works as a partner in the investigations practice at WilmerHale, donated to the Democratic National Committee as well as campaign PACs Obama in 2008 and 2011, and Clinton’s campaign in 2015 and 2016.
Gingrich is convinced these political donations cause a conflict of interest. As for critics calling him a hypocrite changing his mind on Mueller so suddenly, he offered the following explanation.
Fair question why I changed my mind on mueller1Comey admitted leaking to set up special counsel2Comey-Mueller close3Mueller hiring partisans
— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) June 12, 2017