Attorney General Jeff Sessions has tapped U.S. Attorney for Utah John Huber to investigate Republican claims of FBI misconduct.
Huber is Utah’s lead federal prosecutor and although he was first appointed by a Democratic president, Barack Obama, he’s raised his profile significantly under the Trump administration.
The attorney general wants Huber to investigate whether the FBI abused its authority in monitoring a former Trump campaign adviser. He’ll also examine whether the agency should’ve more closely scrutinized a Russian uranium deal made during Hillary Clinton’s tenure at the state department.
Sessions' appointment falls short of demands by some Republicans to appoint a second special counsel to investigate partisan bias at the FBI.
Huber was first appointed in 2015 and re-appointed by President Trump last year.
Huber has appeared at a number of press conferences alongside top justice officials like Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. He’s also voiced support for some Trump policies on violent crime and immigration.
Sen. Orrin Hatch praised the appointment. He said Huber will bring “the independent perspective of an accomplished federal prosecutor” and called him "the right man for the job.”
