Reaction from the Illinois congressional delegation is rarely unified but there is bipartisan agreement over the decision by the Department of Justice to appoint Robert Mueller as a special counsel to investigate allegation of Russian involvement int he 2016 election.
GOP Congressman Adam Kinzinger was the first member of the state's Republican delegation to shift his view stating his support early this morning for a special prosecutor. Now that Mueller has accepted his new post, Kinzinger says "Bob Mueller is a well-respected and trusted veteran of the FBI. The American people deserve answers, transparency and most importantly, the truth."
Several hours after Mueller was appointed, 6th District Congressman Peter Roskam who had not yet called for a special counsel changed his view. Roskam released a statement saying "the appointment of a special counsel to oversee the inquiry ... is a welcome development." Roskam says he has "complete confidence" in Mueller.
Democratic members of the Illinois delegation had supported a special prosecutor after former FBI director James Comey was fired by President Trump. Wednesday night, Senator Dick Durbin says "this is a critical step and I'm glad Mr. Rosenstein took it. The past 48 hours have shown the lengths that the President and his Administration will go to hinder and halt this investigation." Senator Tammy Duckworth says the special counsel "is a positive step to help protect our democracy."
Also weighing in, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, in a printed statement, says "I still firmly believe in the for a 9/11 style commission on Russian interference. " Krishnamoorthi says "there is a need for broader fact finding in areas where the letter of the law may not have been violated, but important questions of national security still lie in the balance."
Democratic candidate for governor JB Pritzker went a step further. He supports calling for beginning the Impeachment process of President Trump. Pritzker says "I believe is necessary to protect our country's national security and preserve our democracy." Pritzker was a top fundraiser and close adviser for HIllary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign.
Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky says "in order for the investigation to be effective, it must be fully independent and have the resources necessary to carry out its important duty."
