GOP lawmaker calls for Mueller recusal over uranium deal

A conservative House Republican is calling for Robert Mueller to resign as special counsel overseeing the FBI investigation of possible collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) introduced a resolution on Friday that argues Mueller is compromised because he served as FBI director when the Obama administration in 2010 signed off on a deal allowing a Russian company to purchase a Canadian energy company with uranium operations in the U.S.

“These deeply troubling events took place when Mr. Mueller was the Director of the FBI. As such, his impartiality is hopelessly compromised. He must step down immediately,” Gaetz said in a statement.

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Gaetz’s resolution currently has two cosponsors, both of whom are members of the House Freedom Caucus: Reps. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) and Louie Gohmert (R-Texas).

Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee announced last week that they will probe the 2010 sale, which occurred while Hillary Clinton was secretary of State. However, there is scant evidence that Clinton was involved in approving the sale.

The Hill reported last month that the FBI had tracked Russians seeking to gain access to Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton. The FBI had gathered evidence that Russian nuclear industry officials engaged in bribery, kickbacks and money laundering to get into the U.S. energy market.

Following The Hill’s reports, the Justice Department released a former FBI informant from a confidentiality agreement, which will allow him to testify before Congress about what he witnessed about Russia’s efforts to grow its energy business in the U.S. 

Gaetz’s resolution comes after Mueller’s team revealed the first indictments of the Russia probe this week.

Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and Manafort’s former business partner, Richard Gates, were charged with engaging in money laundering to conceal payments for work on behalf of a pro-Russia political party in Ukraine.

Another former Trump campaign aide, George Papadopoulos, pleaded guilty to lying to investigators about conversations with a Russian professor who claimed to have emails with “dirt” on Clinton.