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EXPLAINER: What are special counsels and what do they do?

Attorney General Merrick Garland speaks during a news conference at the Department of Justice, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023, in Washington. Garland has appointed a special counsel to investigate the presence of documents with classified markings found at President Joe Biden’s home in Wilmington, Delaware, and at an office in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Attorney General Merrick Garland speaks during a news conference at the Department of Justice, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023, in Washington. Garland has appointed a special counsel to investigate the presence of documents with classified markings found at President Joe Biden’s home in Wilmington, Delaware, and at an office in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

FILE - Then-Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Robert Hur speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, July 27, 2017. Hur, the former Trump-appointed U.S. attorney in Maryland, will lead the investigation, taking over from the top Justice Department prosecutor in Chicago, John Lausch, who was earlier assigned by the department to investigate the matter and who recommended to Garland last week that a special counsel be appointed. Hur is to begin his work soon. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

EXPLAINER: What are special counsels and what do they do?