Photo: Robert S. Mueller III was the sixth director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

By TATIANA PROPHET

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has appointed a special prosecutor to investigate Russian meddling in the 2016 election, choosing former FBI Director Robert Mueller. See Buzzfeed's story on the move.

The news came as a surprise to most in the media and government, even the President and attorney general, according to an anonymous source quoted in the Los Angeles Times.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions had recused himself in March from any investigations pertaining to the 2016 election.

The shock was compounded by widespread reports that Rosenstein would not be appointing a special prosecutor, as CNN just reported last week based on an anonymous source.

"Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein doesn't see a need at this point for a special prosecutor in the probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, people familiar with his thinking tell CNN," wrote Evan Perez and Manu Raju.

Perhaps the fast-moving developments of this week, namely the anonymous report that Trump revealed classified information to the Russian foreign minister, served to change his mind. But that idea would be speculation. Still, relying solely on anonymous sources as the basis for a headline that is shared by most established media outlets is perhaps not the wisest idea.

For the record, this was President Trump's statement on the appointment:

“As I have stated many times, a thorough investigation will confirm what we already know – there was no collusion between my campaign and any foreign entity. I look forward to this matter concluding quickly. In the meantime, I will never stop fighting for the people and the issues that matter most to the future of our country.”