The Hill does a review of the Mueller actions in the last 16 months and where it is today….
Those who think things are drawing to a close are just guessing….
No one knows except Robert Mueller….
And he ain’t telling anyone….
And remember the part about if he finds criminality during his probes?
He IS authorized to pursue those cases….
Special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the election has yielded numerous bombshell developments, while enduring consistent attacks from President Trump and his allies.
Thirty-seven have been charged in connection with the probe; eight have pleaded guilty; and six, including four Trump associates, have agreed to cooperate.
But more significant than what has been learned through Mueller’s public filings, perhaps, are the remaining unknowns. Mueller has not answered the central question of whether there was collusion between Trump’s campaign and Moscow, nor has he made a judgment on whether the president obstructed justice…..
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The developments in Mueller’s probe have in some ways raised more questions than they answer, resembling pieces of a complex puzzle that has not been put together.
The special counsel’s recent moves have signaled he is zeroing in on former Trump adviser Roger Stone, though it remains unclear whether more individuals will be charged in the investigation, or whether there will be more trials.
It is equally unclear how Mueller will wrap up his investigation, or when. Many expect the special counsel to write a report to the Justice Department laying out his findings, but it is also unknown whether that report would be made public.
Mueller also has yet to secure an interview with the president, and there have been no reports of the special counsel interviewing Trump Jr., a key player in the Trump Tower meeting.
The most consequential outstanding question, those closely watching the investigation say, is what Mueller’s inquiry will reveal about President Trump, his family, and their involvement in any collusion.
“There are a bunch of puzzle pieces left,” said Steven Cash, a lawyer at Day Pitney who specializes in criminal and national security law. “The most important are, what did the president and his family know and were they complicit in it?”
It could be several weeks before the public sees the next major development in the probe. There is widespread speculation that Mueller will adhere to typical Justice Department practice and avoid taking steps that could be viewed as inappropriate to close to the midterm elections.
“I don’t see Mueller making any big moves before the election,” said Ron Hosko, a former FBI assistant director who worked under Mueller at the bureau…..
Mueller defends his job……
Special counsel Robert Mueller cited more than a century’s worth of presidential scandal on Friday as part of a sweeping legal defense of his own authorities.
The lead Russia prosecutor made the historical references — that attorney generals have needed special investigators dating back to the 1870s — in a legal brief to a federal appeals court considering the case of a reluctant witness tied to a longtime supporter of President Donald Trump who is seeking to have Mueller’s appointment thrown out on constitutional grounds.
“These instances—involving appointments by Attorneys General under Presidents Garfield, Theodore Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy, Nixon, Carter, George H.W. Bush, and Clinton—span nearly 140 years and include some of the most notorious scandals in the Nation’s history, including Watergate,” wrote Michael Dreeben, the deputy solicitor general on loan to the Mueller team.
At issue is the case of Andrew Miller, a former aide to Trump confidante Roger Stone who has so far failed in his bid to knock Mueller out of his post by challenging the legitimacy of several subpoenas seeking his documents and testimony in connection to the Russia probe.
A federal district court judge rejected Miller’s bid last month to quash the string of grand jury subpoenas, and the ex-Stone aide was later held in contempt of court — a precursor to his current appeal….
image…wired.com