Crossfire Hurricane was folded into the Mueller investigation, but deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein ended the other investigation while giving the bureau the false impression that Mueller would pursue it.[560][561]

Special counsel investigation
Main articles: Mueller special counsel investigation, Mueller report, and Criminal charges brought in the Mueller special counsel investigation
In May 2017, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed Robert Mueller, a former director of the FBI, special counsel for the Department of Justice (DOJ) ordering him to "examine 'any links and/or coordination between the Russian government' and the Trump campaign."He privately told Mueller to restrict the investigation to criminal matters "in connection with Russia's 2016 election interference".[561] The special counsel also investigated whether Trump's dismissal of James Comey as FBI director constituted obstruction of justice[562] and the Trump campaign's possible ties to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Qatar, Israel, and China.[563] Trump sought to fire Mueller and shut down the investigation multiple times but backed down after his staff objected or after changing his mind.[564]
In March 2019, Mueller concluded his investigation and gave his report to Attorney General William Barr.