From what I've just read, it used to be only the President appointing....So much lawfare and twisting of the law.
Why even have laws?
I looked up "Special Counsel appointment and approval" in Google and got back what I posted.
Something is broken.
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But I just read the law was changed, and the attorney General can also appoint special counsels now...in addition to the president.
![www.usatoday.com](https://www.usatoday.com/gcdn/-mm-/f3480cd08796bf2cb752a83f306e912801b20fe5/c=0-0-2997-1693/local/-/media/2017/05/17/USATODAY/USATODAY/636306544725659610-AFP-AFP-OJ0V8.jpg?width=2997&height=1693&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
Special counsel vs. special prosecutor: What's the difference?
To answer this one, we need a bit of a history lesson.
www.usatoday.com
ON POLITICS
Robert Mueller
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Special counsel vs. special prosecutor: What's the difference?
On Wednesday, former FBI director Robert Mueller was appointed to be a special counsel to oversee the investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election and the possibility of collusion between Russia and President Trump's campaign.
So what is a special counsel? And what is the difference between a special counsel, a special prosecutor, and an independent counsel? The terms are largely interchangeable to refer to someone appointed to investigate allegations that could involve a conflict of interest within the Department of Justice. But the manner in which they are appointed and why has changed over time.
The president has always had the authority to name a special prosecutor. After the crisis brought on by the Watergate scandal, Congress passed a law creating an "independent counsel" who could be appointed by a three-judge panel. After the experiences of the Iran-Contra investigation and the probe into the Clinton's Whitewater land deal, there was bipartisan support to abandon that law. Now, the attorney general, in addition to the president, has the power to appoint a special counsel.