Whitaker ignored advice to recuse himself from Mueller investigation

Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker ignored the advice of ethics officials when he decided not to recuse himself from oversight of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into alleged collusion between President Trump and Russia.

According to a letter sent to congressional leaders late Thursday, senior Justice Department ethics officials, including a top career ethics official in the office of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, briefed Whitaker on ethics rules and guidelines as soon as Trump chose him to lead the department last month.