The Justice Department on Wednesday evening appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller as a special counsel for the investigation into possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives, the agency announced along with the order signed by Deputy Attorney General Ron Rosenstein.

“In my capacity as acting Attorney General, I determined that it is in the public interest for me to exercise my authority and appoint a Special Counsel to assume responsibility for this matter,” Rosenstein said in a statement. “My decision is not a finding that crimes have been committed or that any prosecution is warranted. I have made no such determination. What I have determined is that based upon the unique circumstances, the public interest requires me to place this investigation under the authority of a person who exercises a degree of independence from the normal chain of command.”