SACRAMENTO, Calif._California Attorney General Xavier Becerra on Thursday joined 19 other state attorneys general in calling for the immediate appointment of an independent special counsel to investigate possible Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Two days after President Donald Trump fired FBI Director James B. Comey, Becerra and other top attorneys sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice's Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, calling the firing during an active investigation "a violation of the public trust."
"As prosecutors committed to the rule of law, we urge you to consider the damage to our democratic system of any attempts by the administration to derail and delegitimize the investigation," the letter states.
"The residents of our states and the American people deserve a thorough investigation that makes clear the extent of Russian meddling, any collusion by Trump campaign officials, and any cover-up," the letter added. "Only the appointment of an independent special counsel ... with full powers and resources, can begin to restore public confidence. We urge you to appoint a special counsel immediately."
The attorneys general who also signed the letter are from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont and Washington.
