The New York Times reported that on May 17 U.S. Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein appointed Robert S. Mueller III, the former F.B.I. director, to serve as a special counsel for an investigation into Russian meddling in the election, and local representatives on both sides of the aisle applauded the decision. Rep. John Faso, or someone using Twitter for the Kinderhook Republican, wrote, "Mr. Mueller has unquestioned integrity and is a wise choice to lead the FBI investigation as Special Counsel." Sen. Chuck Schumer's Twitter feed read: "Former Director Mueller is exactly the right kind of individual to serve as special counsel in the Russia investigation. I now have significantly greater confidence that the investigation will follow the facts wherever they lead."