GOP rep: Congress should set limits for Mueller probe in appropriations bills

A Republican member of the House of Representatives is calling on Congress to use an upcoming appropriations bill to set firmer guidelines for special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election meddling.

In an op-ed published on FoxNews.com Thursday, Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) expressed concern that Mueller’s probe is venturing into territory unrelated to Moscow’s efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election and called on Congress to set a scope and duration for how the investigation proceeds.

“Specifically, Congress should deny funding for the investigation of any matters that precede the commencement of the 2016 presidential campaign,” DeSantis wrote.

{mosads}

“This will prevent the investigation from going off the rails and from becoming a roving commission to simply ‘find something’ on members of the Trump administration, including the president himself.” 

Since taking over the Justice Department investigation into Russian election meddling and possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Moscow, Mueller’s probe has reportedly expanded to include possible financial crimes that may not necessarily be related to the 2016 campaign.

DeSantis said that the expanding nature of that probe has stymied the Trump administration’s ability to fulfill his agenda, and he argued that Congress should eventually cut off funding for the investigation. 

“Imposing a deadline will force the special counsel to put up or shut up: if evidence of criminal activity has not surfaced after what will be nearly two years of investigation (including the pre-special counsel investigation conducted by the FBI), then this investigatory cloud hovering over the Trump administration should be removed,” he wrote.