A Republican senator applauded the Department of Justice for naming former FBI director Robert Mueller as a special counsel to oversee the bureau's Russia probe.
Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., appeared on Fox News' "Special Report" and said the appointment is "good news" for the investigation into whether President Donald Trump's campaign colluded with Russia.
"It's good news," Lankford said. "It helps expedite the process because the folks at the FBI, the career folks, have been leading this investigation. It's been a lot of work they've done and my concern has been that someone would be selected or they would push this to an outside individual and run something autonomous."
Lankford added having Mueller supervise the investigation is a "plus" in terms of keeping the probe focused and on track — particularly with so much political interference happening around it.
Lankford, who first took office in 2015, is a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, which is investigating alleged ties between Trump and Russia. The committee wants to bring in former FBI Director James Comey and ask him what he knows regarding the investigation, including memos he reportedly wrote.
"We want to be able to meet with Comey, talk with him," Lankford said. "We have requested [acting FBI Director Andrew] McCabe to be able to present any documents Comey may have had, any notes he may have had, so he can add to our investigation."
Later in the interview, Lankford said he is "confident [Comey] will [testify]."
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