The US Senate on Thursday confirmed William Barr as the country's next attorney general, putting the veteran Republican lawyer in charge of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe of any ties between President Donald Trump's campaign and Russia.
Barr, 68, served as attorney general under president George HW Bush in the early 1990s.
Republicans praised Barr as well qualified, while Democrats who voted against him in the committee said they were concerned he might not make public the findings from Mueller's Russia investigation.
Barr will replace acting US Attorney General Matthew Whitaker.
Whitaker was appointed in November after Trump forced out Jeff Sessions.
Sessions had recused from overseeing the Russia investigation.
More soon ...
