Mueller
Mueller
Robert Mueller III, Special Counsel overseeing the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections; former Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Tuesday 2 April 2019
Monday 1 April 2019
One might say that the judge may have been injudicious in his tone or choice of words, but one cannot say that his comments were so discourteous, uncivil, or “bullying” as to “transcend … the expected rough-and-tumble of litigation.”
Democratic lawmakers are also pushing to obtain all the grand jury information contained in the report.
Good news on the president’s biggest scandal hasn’t improved his ratings.
Sunday 31 March 2019
...federal prosecutors are pursuing a slew of criminal inquiries that grew out of the investigation.
Friday 29 March 2019
Tuesday 26 March 2019
Whether Trump and his enablers have broken any laws, they are clearly committed to using law to subvert the basic tenets of our social contract: the will of the people, the good of the whole and equal justice under the law.
Monday 25 March 2019
The resolution was passed unanimously in the House, and President Trump himself said earlier Monday that it "wouldn't bother [him] at all" if the full report was released.
Attorney General Barr's summary of the Mueller probe is silent about whether investigators found Trump or any associate was influenced by Russia.
An unnamed foreign government-owned corporation will have to turn over information that was related to the special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation to federal prosecutors or continue to accrue escalating fines
Sunday 24 March 2019
"While this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him"
“I can certainly understand why the lawyers like [Trump attorney Rudy] Giuliani were fighting this because the president is someone who seems pathologically incapable of telling the truth for long periods of time,” Schiff (D-Calif.) said.
Saturday 23 March 2019
...and urged him to release the full report to lawmakers so their committees could proceed with their “independent work.”
Friday 22 March 2019
The attorney general, William P. Barr, will determine how much of the special counsel’s Russia report will be shared with Congress or the public.
...bringing to a close an investigation that has consumed the nation and cast a shadow over President Trump for nearly two years.
"I had the greatest electoral victory -- one of them -- in the history of our country. Tremendous success. Tens of millions of voters. And now somebody is going to write a report who never got a vote."
To protect those secrets from prying ears, the whole of the office suite in southwest Washington has been designated a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF), U.S. spy speak for an area that has restrictions to ensure secret information stays secure.
Wednesday 20 March 2019
Tuesday 19 March 2019
Mueller’s office asked a court for an 11-day extension on a filing deadline Tuesday — claiming that, for the time being, key attorneys on their team were too busy with “the press of other work.”
The records show that Mr. Cohen’s business dealings had already been the subject of an extensive investigation by the time F.B.I. agents conducted a highly public raid on his home and office last April.
Monday 18 March 2019
“the Moscow Project was a lucrative business opportunity that sought, and likely required, the assistance of the Russian government.”
Saturday 16 March 2019
Friday 15 March 2019
Thursday 14 March 2019
Though the resolution is nonbinding, Democrats who put it on the House floor are trying to build public pressure on Attorney General William P. Barr before the investigation’s anticipated conclusion.
Wednesday 20 February 2019
...one of the most pressing questions Barr will face in the coming weeks is the extent to which Mueller's findings should be disclosed to Congress.
Tuesday 19 February 2019
The company -- which, in more recent court filings, considers itself interchangeable with the unnamed country that owns it -- lost its challenge before the trial court and a federal court of appeals in Washington to avoid turning over the information.
Monday 18 February 2019
The No. 2 official at the department has become one of the highest profile figures in the Trump administration given his oversight of the Russia investigation and the appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller in 2017.
Sunday 17 February 2019
Friday 15 February 2019
"the government obtained and executed dozens of search warrants on various accounts used to facilitate the transfer of stolen documents for release, as well as to discuss the timing and promotion of their release"
Prosecutors made a clear reference to Manafort’s time atop Trump’s 2016 campaign, noting his 'repeated misrepresentations to financial institutions were brazen' during that time.
Wednesday 13 February 2019
Other Trump aides have admitted to lying in Mueller’s investigation, too, but not involving specific contacts with Russians.
Concord Management and Consulting LLC [...] lost its bid for additional discovery to bolster its claim that it has been unfairly targeted simply for being from Russia.
Sunday 10 February 2019
Whitaker has faced intense scrutiny for his coziness with the White House, as well as his public criticisms of the special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, which he now oversees.
Sunday 3 February 2019
...adding that it was time to “get rid” of the inquiry.
Friday 1 February 2019
Filings unsealed by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals named Atlanta-based Alston and Bird as the firm that has been battling with federal prosecutor
Tuesday 29 January 2019
Stone became the 34th person charged by Mueller.
Sunday 27 January 2019
Republicans are delaying assigning members to a House committee that would help Robert Mueller
Corsi has been identified as "Person 1" in the 24-page federal indictment filed by special counsel Robert Mueller against Stone
Friday 25 January 2019
Government Shutdown Day 35
In an indictment unsealed Friday, the special counsel disclosed evidence that a top campaign official in 2016 dispatched Roger J. Stone [...] to get information from WikiLeaks about the thousands of hacked Democratic emails.
The longtime Trump adviser has been in Mueller’s crosshairs for some time.
The longtime Trump associate faces allegations he lied to and obstructed the House Intelligence Committee's Russia investigation.
Wednesday 23 January 2019
Government Shutdown Day 33
Manafort appears to be doing something to curry favor with President Donald Trump [...] Manafort is out here helping the president by causing problems for Mueller
Tuesday 22 January 2019
Government Shutdown Day 32
"When I was interviewed by the special counsel's office, I was asked about the Trump campaign and our dealings with the NRA"
It told the story of a 2016 yachting excursion ... [that] ... revealed that Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Prikhodko was also on board and that he and Deripaska had discussed the U.S. election campaign.
Friday 18 January 2019
Government Shutdown Day 28
“BuzzFeed’s description of specific statements to the special counsel’s office, and characterization of documents and testimony obtained by this office, regarding Michael Cohen’s congressional testimony are not accurate”
Thursday 17 January 2019
Government Shutdown Day 27
Tuesday 15 January 2019
Government Shutdown Day 25
Mueller's team released a small mountain of evidence supporting their claim that Manafort lied to them on numerous occasions. The document dump, which is heavily redacted, adds up to almost 200 pages in total, which, investigators wanted Manafort to know, “does not contain all of the evidence compiled by the FBI on these issues.”
...and said he was determined to resist any pressure from Mr. Trump to use law enforcement for political purposes.
Barr has known Mueller both "personally and professionally" for 30 years
William Barr told senators he didn't think the special counsel would be involved in a 'witch hunt.'
Monday 14 January 2019
Government Shutdown Day 24
"On my watch, Bob will be allowed to complete his work," Barr intends to say to Congress at the start of his Senate hearing Tuesday
Sunday 13 January 2019
Government Shutdown Day 23
The FBI can neutralize a counterintelligence threat several ways.
Unfortunately, none of these is a feasible option if the national security threat is the president of the United States.
Saturday 12 January 2019
Government Shutdown Day 22
Wednesday 9 January 2019
Government Shutdown Day 19
Rosenstein is planning to stay on for a time after the new attorney general, William Barr, is expected to be confirmed.
Tuesday 8 January 2019
Government Shutdown Day 18
Comey is fair and honest. But he’s so confident in his judgment and so wary of his bosses that he cuts them out of decisions.
The court’s order Tuesday offered no explanation for its decision and no justice publicly signaled any dissent.
Monday 7 January 2019
Government Shutdown Day 17
...accusing the firm’s attorneys of submitting unprofessional and inappropriate court filings attacking Mueller’s office and of unwisely peppering legal briefs with jarring quotes taken from movies like Animal House.
Friday 4 January 2019
Government Shutdown Day 14
The grand jury's initial 18-month term was set to expire over the weekend.
Saturday 29 December 2018
Government Shutdown Day 8
...prosecutors in New Jersey [...] have obtained evidence that supervisors at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster may have committed federal immigration crimes and are currently working with the FBI
Friday 28 December 2018
Government Shutdown Day 7
...three days ahead of the Monday deadline set by the court.
Thursday 27 December 2018
Government Shutdown Day 6
In all, Mueller has between 1.5 and 2 terabytes of data about the Russian troll farm gathered from several hundred sources.
Corsi claims that because he investigated Hillary Clinton's missing emails in 2016 and guessed WikiLeaks would leak hacked emails from Clinton's campaign chairman, Mueller has unfairly targeted him.
“Absent an appropriation, Department of Justice attorneys are generally prohibited from working, even on a voluntary basis, except in very limited circumstances”
Thursday 20 December 2018
The move has generated speculation that Mueller is closing in on an indictment of Stone for lying to Congress.
The Justice Department has concluded that Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker had no reason to recuse
Tuesday 18 December 2018
The ruling offers the intriguing detail that the entity fighting the Mueller subpoena is a foreign-owned company, not a specific individual, as many had speculated.
Flynn is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday for lying to the FBI about a conversation with Kislyak during the transition.
Monday 17 December 2018
Indeed, it’s no longer accurate to sum up the president’s legal troubles under the banner of “the Russia investigation.” The bulk of the federal investigatory firepower aimed at his inner circle is now coming from outside Mueller’s control, widening the risk to the president himself.
Saturday 15 December 2018
From the clues that have emerged, it appears that the dispute is about whether a witness can be forced to answer investigators’ questions.
"Over my dead body. But, you know, I could be dead."
Friday 14 December 2018
The Special Counsel’s Office released new an expenditure report Friday which revealed that the six months between the beginning of April through September cost about $4.5 million.
But this Friday, court officials went to extreme measures to ensure it was as difficult as possible to figure out what Mueller's team was doing
Flynn's allies have claimed that Flynn was essentially set up by FBI agents wanting to take down the president.
The documents – some of which are heavily redacted -- were released in response to U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan ordering prosecutors to hand over the government's files and "memoranda" related to the FBI’s questioning of Flynn
The case – known officially as “In re: Grand Jury Subpoena” – has been sealed in its entirety when it comes to public records, as it moved from the district court to the appeals court level in recent months.
Tuesday 11 December 2018
But a 30-minute hearing in the case Tuesday largely centered around scheduling matters and wasn't conclusive.
Monday 10 December 2018
Saturday 8 December 2018
Trump told reporters he has not read the court filings, which detail alleged lies Cohen and Manafort told publicly and to investigators.
A political consultant is challenging the decades-old federal law barring foreign involvement in U.S. elections.
The president said on Twitter that Friday’s news “totally clears the President. Thank you!” It does not. Manafort and Cohen are in trouble, and so is Trump.
Friday 7 December 2018
The special counsel is connecting the dots and it doesn’t paint a pretty picture for the president.
In a heavily redacted document, Mueller also said Manafort lied about his interactions with Konstantin Kilimnik.
The Mueller questions to Kelly centered on a narrow set of issues in the investigation of potential obstruction of justice
Tuesday 4 December 2018
Flynn provided "substantial assistance" in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, according to court papers filed Tuesday.
Monday 3 December 2018
...alleging prosecutors tried to coerce him to give false testimony.
Saturday 1 December 2018
If the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, has proved anything in his 18-month-long investigation [...] it is that Mr. Trump surrounded himself throughout 2016 and early 2017 with people to whom lying seemed to be second nature.
Friday 30 November 2018
For the first time, the special counsel's narrative has suddenly come alive with pre-presidential actions and entanglements by Trump himself.
Thursday 29 November 2018
Flake [...] is holding firm to his vow to vote against judicial nominees on the floor and in committee unless Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) schedules a vote on the bipartisan special counsel legislation.
Trump once again signaled that he is determined to preserve for himself the ability to flagrantly abuse his powers to protect himself from accountability
According to court documents, Cohen admitted that he made the misstatements about the “Moscow Project” – the Trump Organization’s efforts to “pursue a branded property in Moscow” in an August 2017 letter to the House and Senate intelligence committees
Wednesday 28 November 2018
Flake’s blockade is annoying senior Republicans by slowing down confirmation of conservative judges in the narrowly divided Senate.
McConnell said the bill was "a solution in search of a problem."
Lawyers for Manafort and Trump engaged in a brazen violation of criminal defense norms. The move could pay off, or it could blow up spectacularly.
Tuesday 27 November 2018
Giuliani, one of the president’s personal lawyers, acknowledged the arrangement on Tuesday and defended it as a source of valuable insights into the special counsel’s inquiry
The handling of sensitive U.S. government information has long been a sticking point in the case.
Monday 26 November 2018
The filing did not mention what Manafort is specifically alleged to have lied about.
Jerome Corsi, an associate of Trump confidant Roger Stone, says he’s been offered a plea deal on one perjury count—but won’t take it.
Sunday 25 November 2018
Late last week, his new lawyers asked Moss to allow him to delay the start of his prison term until a constitutional challenge to the appointment of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III advanced in a separate case in Washington is resolved.
Moss resoundingly rejected what he termed the “11th hour” request
Friday 23 November 2018
Although Mr. Corsi apparently had no direct connection to the Trump campaign, he was in touch with Mr. Stone, a former campaign adviser who communicated with senior campaign officials through the election.
Thursday 22 November 2018
A "speaking indictment" is a document that criminally charges one or more defendants in a given jurisdiction and includes much more detailed information about the crimes than is required by law.
The date for the meeting had been set for January 27, 2018
Trump has still not spoken to Mueller’s team regarding its investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
Wednesday 21 November 2018
Giuliani expressed breezy confidence about Trump's legal position: "I don't think they have any evidence of collusion of any kind. I think their obstruction case, as a legal matter, doesn't exist."
Tuesday 20 November 2018
The special counsel may have to subpoena the president to get answers about his time in office.
Monday 19 November 2018
Whitaker's appointment as the special counsel's boss 'neither alters the special counsel’s authority to represent the United States nor raises any jurisdictional issue.'
Sunday 18 November 2018
Friday 16 November 2018
The president told reporters on Friday that he wrote the answers, not his lawyers, and that he did so "very easily."
Senate Republicans hope replacing Matthew Whitaker will calm the firestorm over Trump’s attacks on the special counsel.
Thursday 15 November 2018
Trump did not detail his complaints, even as he described Mueller's team as "a disgrace to our Nation."
Wednesday 14 November 2018
Flake’s warning will likely force Republicans [...] to rely on Vice President Pence to confirm any of the 32 judicial nominees pending before the full Senate
The effort by Flake and Coons comes a week after Trump set off alarm bells among Democrats and some Republicans by forcing the resignation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions
Tuesday 13 November 2018
With the certainty that the incoming Democratic House majority will go after his tax returns and investigate his actions, and the likelihood of additional indictments by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, Trump has retreated into a cocoon of bitterness and resentment
Monday 12 November 2018
“He’s obviously not going to recuse himself. He should recuse himself because he’s prejudged the issue”
Friday 9 November 2018
...they have until Nov. 19 to turn in briefs that sift through Wednesday’s firing of Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the legal reaction it may have created.
Thursday 8 November 2018
Wednesday 7 November 2018
A stealthy way to kill the inquiry.
But if Trump Jr. did lie under oath, the obvious question is why. He had a lawyer, who presumably informed him of the dangers of perjury.
Democrats are primed to help the special counsel shed light on any illicit behavior by the president and his allies.
Monday 5 November 2018
In the run-up to the election, Rudy Giuliani was made to shut up. But now, with Trump making excuses for possibly losing the House, officials are bracing for a legal assault.
Friday 2 November 2018
Thursday 1 November 2018
This week, a handful of right-wing conspiracy theorists were exposed trying to smear special counsel Robert Mueller in a plan that’s almost too outlandish and poorly executed to be believed.
Wednesday 31 October 2018
The special counsel appears to be locked in a legal battle with a mysterious Russia probe target who is fighting a subpoena.
Tuesday 30 October 2018
A Seth Rich conspiracy pusher and fringe online figures appear to be working behind the scenes.
“When we learned last week of allegations that women were offered money to make false claims about the special counsel, we immediately referred the matter to the F.B.I. for investigation”
The special counsel says a woman was offered money to fabricate sexual-harassment claims.
Multiple reporters were contacted over the past few weeks by a woman who said she had been offered money to say she had been harassed by Mueller
And when NBC News called Surefire’s main phone number, they reported that it went straight to “a voicemail message which provided another phone number, listed in public records as belonging to Wohl’s mother.”
Wednesday 24 October 2018
The special counsel appears to be locked in a dispute with a mystery grand jury witness, but much of the case is sealed.
Wednesday 17 October 2018
Mueller is expected to issue findings on core aspects of his Russia probe soon after the November midterm elections as he faces intensifying pressure to produce more indictments or shut down his investigation
Monday 15 October 2018
Campaign ads and debates are mostly avoiding the ***Russia investigation in favor of other issues important to voters.
Thursday 11 October 2018
Wednesday 10 October 2018
...after he pleaded guilty to a felony identity fraud charge tied to Russian troll activity that rocked the 2016 presidential campaign.
Tuesday 9 October 2018
We’ve gotten news on Alfa Bank, Psy-Group, and Peter W. Smith — three long-simmering subplots of the Russia investigation.
Monday 8 October 2018
Monday 1 October 2018
...as part of his cooperation agreement in the special counsel’s investigation into Russia interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Friday 28 September 2018
The lead Russia prosecutor made the historical references [...] in a legal brief to a federal appeals court considering the case of a reluctant witness [...] who is seeking to have Mueller’s appointment thrown out on constitutional grounds.
Thursday 27 September 2018
The proposal would force Republicans to decide whether to consider the Mueller-protection proposal or sideline it.
Thursday 20 September 2018
The special counsel’s questioning of Cohen [...] has focused primarily on all aspects of Trump's dealings with Russia
Wednesday 19 September 2018
“It’s a sign that, perhaps, Flynn may not be critical to other pieces of Mueller’s investigation”
Monday 17 September 2018
Sunday 16 September 2018
Saturday 15 September 2018
Friday 14 September 2018
Manafort's decision to cooperate with Mueller comes just weeks after President Donald Trump called Manafort a "brave man" who would not "make up stories in order to get a 'deal'" after he was convicted in a separate trial in Virginia.
Thursday 13 September 2018
Prosecutors also said they expect to take 10 to 12 days to make their case in the second trial.
Tuesday 4 September 2018
Mueller will accept written answers from Mr. Trump on questions about whether his campaign conspired with Russia’s election interference
The special prosecutor quietly and subtly played the president, who even now has no real clue what Mueller and his zipped-lipped crew are up to.
Friday 31 August 2018
Carr said that neither Dickey nor Richardson left the office because of political allegations, the appearance of bias or any other wrongdoing.
Thursday 30 August 2018
But the bigger picture is that a week after Cohen pleaded guilty to tax, bank fraud, and campaign finance charges — and implicated Trump in the latter of those — Cohen’s role in the larger Trump-Russia saga remains a question mark.
Wednesday 29 August 2018
Attorney-client privilege doesn’t apply when the client enlists a lawyer’s help to commit a crime — and that’s what Mueller’s team is arguing that Manafort did.
Tuesday 28 August 2018
Giuliani isn’t just saying that the investigation is illegitimate — as he has many times before — or that he’s preparing for the after-action. He’s admitting that job No. 1 is to undermine the man in charge of it.
Monday 27 August 2018
It might even keep the special counsel from sending a report to Congress, shaking Democrats’ hopes that such a document could provide the impetus for impeachment proceedings.
Saturday 25 August 2018
Friday 24 August 2018
Tuesday 21 August 2018
By convincing a jury that he has uncovered criminal behavior, the special counsel has likely insulated his larger probe from political threats.
Monday 20 August 2018
Trump’s accusation that the probe could have an impact on the fall elections comes as his lawyers and Mueller’s team continue a lengthy back-and-forth over whether Trump will sit down for an interview with the special counsel’s team.
Sunday 19 August 2018
Saturday 18 August 2018
Because he fears Trump may be setting him up to take the fall on potential obstruction of justice and that he’d then wind up like John Dean, former White House counsel to President Richard Nixon who eventually flipped: in prison.
Friday 17 August 2018
"The defendant's crime was serious and caused damage to the government's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election"
Monday 13 August 2018
"If his office calls again ... anything they want I’ll share"
Monday 6 August 2018
Sunday 5 August 2018
Thursday 2 August 2018
The son of a Russian oligarch helped set up the now infamous 2016 Trump Tower meeting.
In her lengthy ruling, Howell said that the “witness raises legitimate questions, but his concerns are not legally sustainable.”
Wednesday 1 August 2018
The latest proposal by the special counsel comes as Trump has stepped up his attacks on his investigation and Mueller personally.
Monday 30 July 2018
Trump is giving Americans a glimpse of the fury raging inside him as a pivotal moment nears for special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation
Sunday 29 July 2018
Friday 27 July 2018
Jurors are expected to hear from a slew of bankers, accountants and luxury-good vendors.
They haven’t yet sat down for an interview. But they almost met at Gate 35X.
Monday 23 July 2018
Trump would agree to an interview with Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigators if it’s limited to questions on whether his presidential campaign colluded with Russia in the 2016 electio
Sunday 22 July 2018
With the release on Friday of a redacted copy of both the initial warrant application targeting Page in October 2016 and the three 90-day extensions of the warrant, we can get a better sense of just how far from the mark the Nunes memo actually was.
Friday 20 July 2018
The caution is a notable change in tone from just before the summit
Wednesday 18 July 2018
Lawyers for Andrew Miller, a former Roger Stone aide who is fighting a grand jury subpoena in special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe, as well as at least five attorneys from Mueller’s team spent nearly an hour and a half Wednesday in the D.C. courtroom of Chief U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell.
Tuesday 17 July 2018
Mueller’s prosecutors did not identify the potential witnesses publicly,
Monday 16 July 2018
...anyone he talks to about the meeting, as well as the translator who was in the room with him and Putin would be called before Mueller’s team, and possible even the grand jury.
Friday 13 July 2018
So how long before Mueller fills in the blanks with familiar names like Stone or Assange?
“if you have anything hillary related we want it in the next tweo [sic] days prefable [sic] because the DNC is approaching and she will solidify bernie supporters behind her after.”
The 12 were members of Russian military intelligence, known as the GRU
Wednesday 11 July 2018
According to telephone calls being monitored by special counsel Robert Mueller’s team, Manafort has recently told people he’s being treated like a “VIP” at the Virginia prison
Monday 9 July 2018
Friday 6 July 2018
Peter Strzok will testify next Thursday at a joint session of the House oversight and judiciary committees.
Trump’s lawyers set new conditions on Friday on an interview with the special counsel and said that the chances that the president would be voluntarily questioned were growing increasingly unlikely.
Thursday 5 July 2018
Trump’s inaugural committee raised a truly astonishing $106.7 million, double the previous record set by Barack Obama’s 2009 inaugural. But what they did with it isn’t so clear.
...he’s making more use of career prosecutors from the offices of U.S. attorneys and from Justice Department headquarters, as well as FBI agents -- a sign that he may be laying the groundwork to hand off parts of his investigation eventually
Thursday 28 June 2018
Monday 25 June 2018
Prince, America’s most famous private military contractor, acknowledged last week that he “cooperated” with Mueller’s investigation
Friday 22 June 2018
If the hearing goes forward as scheduled, Papadopoulos could become the second defendant sentenced in Mueller’s investigation
Tuesday 19 June 2018
Prince, a billionaire and the brother of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, has also lobbied for a massive overhaul of the way the Afghanistan War is being prosecuted
Monday 18 June 2018
Friday 15 June 2018
On Friday afternoon, Trump complained the judge’s decision to jail Manafort was “very unfair.”
Thursday 14 June 2018
The individuals are Alan Friedman and Eckart Sager, both former journalists based in Europe.
Wednesday 13 June 2018
For his part, the Trump attorney has been frustrated by the lack of outreach by the president, whom Cohen has vowed to defend, according to people with knowledge of the situation.
Tuesday 12 June 2018
"Manafort’s own words establish the falsity of his representation that the Hapsburg group was 'European-focused'"
Mueller warned that Russian intelligence services still have active “interference operations” into U.S. elections and that handing over certain evidence in a criminal case could imperil ongoing investigations.
Monday 11 June 2018
...following a third superseding indictment against him by Special Counsel Robert Mueller that lodged additional charges on accusations of witness tampering.
Friday 8 June 2018
The indictment filed in U.S. District Court in Washington marked the first such charges for Manafort’s associate, Konstantin Kilimnik, who is believed to be in Moscow
Monday 4 June 2018
Mueller ... asked the judge overseeing the case in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to revoke or revise an order releasing Manafort ahead of his trial.
Saturday 2 June 2018
The Times obtained copies of a confidential letter sent by President Trump’s lawyers to the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III. Reporters added context in annotations.
Wednesday 30 May 2018
It was the latest evidence of Trump's ongoing pre-occupation with the probe led by special counsel Robert Mueller.
Tuesday 22 May 2018
For months, a small group of lawmakers close to Mr. Trump have been in a pitched fight with the Justice Department over access to some of its most delicate case files, including documents detailing the scope of the Russia investigation
Sunday 20 May 2018
Wednesday 9 May 2018
Novartis said Wednesday that it had spoken to lawyers for the special counsel ... about its payments to a shell company controlled by Michael D. Cohen,
Saturday 5 May 2018
Barrack was interviewed “months ago” and was asked a few questions about Gates’ work on Trump’s inaugural committee, which Barrack chaired
Friday 4 May 2018
In their request on Friday to put off the arraignment, prosecutors included the extensive demands for information that the lawyers for Concord Management have set forth since they stepped forward last month.
U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III sharply questioned whether Mueller exceeded his authority in filing tax and bank fraud charges against Trump’s former campaign manager, Paul Manafort.
Wednesday 2 May 2018
But Ukraine’s chief prosecutor has now halted the investigation, ostensibly to remain on Trump’s good side.
Tuesday 1 May 2018
Without a resolution on the interview, the standoff could turn into a historic confrontation before the Supreme Court over a presidential subpoena.
"Due to the status of the special counsel's investigation, the parties do not believe that this matter is ready to be scheduled for a sentencing hearing at this time"
The special counsel seems to be leaving the president's children for last.
We still don’t know the biggest, most important evidence. ... That includes, obviously, the evidence that George Papadopoulos, Michael Flynn, and Rick Gates all traded to Mueller for their plea deals over the last seven months.
These questions were not leaked when they were first communicated to Trump’s team in March, but only now, after Giuliani has come on board.
Monday 30 April 2018
The special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, recently provided President Trump’s lawyers a list of questions he wants answered in an interview.
Saturday 28 April 2018
From Mueller’s perspective, the benefits of a Trump interview must be weighed against the prospect that questioning the president may not benefit his case much in the long haul.
Thursday 26 April 2018
...after the panel’s Republican chairman backed off changes that threatened bipartisan support for the bill.
“We’d talk to you all day but it looks like you have a million things to do”
Tuesday 24 April 2018
Manafort was raided by the FBI to look for documents relating to the Trump Tower meeting in June 2016 with Russian lobbyists, which was brokered by Donald Trump Jr.
Saturday 21 April 2018
But in trying to deflect those attacks, some say, Mr. Rosenstein has risked eroding the Justice Department’s historic independence from political meddling. The consequences could persist long after he and the rest of the Trump administration are out of power.
Mueller has a powerful tool at his disposal: The “sealed” or secret indictment. If Mueller indeed determines that he has a strong case against Trump, a secret indictment returned by a grand jury will help protect the integrity of his investigation even if he is fired
Thursday 19 April 2018
Judge Amy Berman Jackson questioned whether Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein’s directive appointing Mueller granted him more authority than Justice Department regulations appear to permit.
...the goal isn't necessarily to pass a measure with the hope of forcing Trump to decide between signing the bill or issuing a veto. The real goal, he said, is to send the president a message.
Tuesday 17 April 2018
McConnell said the bill is unnecessary because President Donald Trump will not fire Mueller.
Monday 16 April 2018
“The same people who would criticize me for filing this bill would be absolutely angry if I wasn’t pounding the table for this bill if we were dealing with Hillary Clinton,” he argued. “So spare me your righteous indignation.”
Friday 13 April 2018
Confirmation of the trip would lend credence to a retired British spy’s report that Cohen strategized there with a powerful Kremlin figure about Russian meddling in the U.S. election.
Trump’s advisers have concluded that a wide-ranging corruption investigation into his personal lawyer poses a greater and more imminent threat to the president than even the special counsel’s investigation
Critics are speculating that the president is trying to send a message to key figures in Mueller's Russia probe.
“I don’t know Mr. Libby,” Trump said in a statement, adding, “but for years I have heard that he has been treated unfairly. Hopefully, this full pardon will help rectify a very sad portion of his life.”
Thursday 12 April 2018
Wednesday 11 April 2018
...a move that could be a bid to gain access to evidence that special counsel Robert Mueller's office gathered in preparing the case.
The first step, these people say, would be for Trump to fire Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein, who oversees the work of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III and in recent days signed off on a search warrant of Trump’s longtime personal lawyer, Michael D. Cohen.
...legislation ... that would allow special counsels like Robert S. Mueller III to appeal their firing to a panel of judges and possibly be reinstated.
It’s a significant step forward as lawmakers warn President Donald Trump not to fire the man investigating him.
The proposed legislation, though, appears to leave open significant ways in which Trump could still derail the special counsel’s work — if it were even signed into law.
Tuesday 10 April 2018
Their reluctance to take more-forceful action came as Democratic leaders voiced new urgency about shielding Mueller
Monday 9 April 2018
The special counsel is investigating a payment made to President Trump’s foundation by a Ukrainian steel magnate for a talk during the campaign
Cohen’s lawyer, Stephen Ryan, said the actions were taken following a “referral” from special counsel Robert Mueller.
“I just heard that they broke into the office of one of my personal attorneys, a good man,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “It’s a disgraceful situation. … I’ve been saying it for a long time. I have this witch hunt constantly going on.”
Thursday 5 April 2018
Mueller's office moved to seize bank accounts at three different financial institutions last year just one day before former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was indicted
Wednesday 4 April 2018
This could be a significant moment, suggesting Mueller views criminal charges against Trump as being off-limits.
Tuesday 3 April 2018
The president has privately expressed relief at the description of his legal status, which has increased his determination to agree to a special counsel interview
A Dutch lawyer who lied about his contacts with a top Trump campaign official and a reputed Russian spy was ordered Tuesday to serve 30 days in prison
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein explicitly authorized the Justice Department’s special counsel to investigate allegations that President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman colluded with the Russian government
Friday 30 March 2018
The inquiries are exposing the risks Trump took on when he made the decision to maintain ownership of the company that bears his name while serving in the White House
Malloch also said the agents served him a subpoena from Mueller's team that had been issued that day, March 28, and that he later arranged with the Special Counsel's Office to appear for questioning on April 13.
Thursday 29 March 2018
The thing of value in bribery law is not limited to envelopes stuffed with cash. ... A promise not to cooperate in special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s probe could readily serve as the quid in this quid pro quo.
Wednesday 28 March 2018
To some, the barrage looked coordinated among pro-Trump allies and media outlets, a concerted effort to tarnish Mueller’s reputation as part of a political strategy to undermine, or even eventually fire, the Russia investigator.
In a court filing Tuesday night special counsel Robert Mueller alleges Rick Gates ... knew the two were working with a former Russian intelligence officer during the 2016 election.
Tuesday 27 March 2018
"The defendant was expressly warned by the government that it is a crime to lie to the Special Counsel’s Office, that lying could constitute a federal crime, and that such conduct would carry with it the possibility of going to jail if he were convicted. van der Zwaan stated that he understood. He thereafter deliberately and repeatedly lied"
Thursday 22 March 2018
Trump’s new offensive is a sign that he’s unilaterally abandoning the go-along, get-along strategy advocated by Dowd and Ty Cobb, the White House lawyer overseeing the response to Mueller.
Mr. Dowd’s departure comes as the president has made clear he is seeking a more aggressive response to Mr. Mueller’s investigation.
Tuesday 20 March 2018
McConnell will almost certainly face questions about Mueller at his weekly press conference Tuesday afternoon. To date, his approach has been to say as little as possible.
Monday 19 March 2018
Mr. Trump has weighed aloud in recent days to close associates whether to dismiss his lawyer Ty Cobb, who had pushed most strongly a strategy of cooperating fully with the special counsel investigation.
Mr. Trump’s lead lawyer, John Dowd, has contemplated leaving his post because he has concluded that he has no control over the behavior of the president
The question is whether Trump's attempt to discredit Mueller (and his findings) has any effect outside of the core Trump base.
Sunday 18 March 2018
Robert S. Mueller III, who heads the team, is a longtime registered Republican. He was appointed by another Republican, Rod J. Rosenstein
The morning missive also marks an increasingly direct tact against Mueller, whom until yesterday the president had not personally named or attacked on Twitter.
Saturday 17 March 2018
McCabe kept memos of his conversations with Mr. Trump and what happened during Comey's firing and Mueller is in the possession of the memos.
Friday 16 March 2018
In a statement released by his lawyers, Mr. McCabe said his firing was part of Mr. Trump’s “ongoing war on the F.B.I.” and Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel.
Thursday 15 March 2018
Trump’s private company scrambled Thursday to show it has long been cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigators in response to a media report that it had gotten a new subpoena for documents tied to the Russia probe.
The preparations reflect an understanding that negotiations with the lead Russia investigator, which have been ongoing since January, will eventually culminate in a sit-down meeting between Mueller with the president.
Monday 12 March 2018
Qatari officials gathered evidence of what they claim is illicit influence by the United Arab Emirates on Jared Kushner and other Trump associates, including details of secret meetings, but decided not to give the information to special counsel Robert Mueller for fear of harming relations with the Trump administration
Friday 9 March 2018
Wednesday 7 March 2018
A witness cooperating with Mueller has told investigators the meeting was set up in advance so that a representative of the Trump transition could meet with an emissary from Moscow to discuss future relations between the countries
Tuesday 6 March 2018
Mr. Mueller appears to be examining the influence of foreign money on Mr. Trump’s political activities and has asked witnesses about the possibility that the adviser, George Nader, funneled money from the Emirates to the president’s political efforts.
Monday 5 March 2018
Sunday 4 March 2018
The investigators have also asked about Mr. Nader’s role in White House policymaking, those people said, suggesting that the special counsel investigation has broadened beyond Russian election meddling to include Emirati influence on the Trump administration.
Saturday 3 March 2018
Putin said ... that he cannot know whether Russian law was violated and would need to "first see what they've done."
Thursday 1 March 2018
Normally, details like those disclosed in the 37-page indictment would be classified, not released to the public.
Friday 23 February 2018
A former top adviser to Donald J. Trump’s presidential campaign indicted by the special counsel was expected to plead guilty as soon as Friday afternoon ..., a move that signals he is cooperating with the investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election.
Thursday 22 February 2018
Even as he was managing Donald J. Trump’s campaign for president, Paul Manafort lied to banks to secure millions of dollars in cash loans as part of a decade-long money laundering scheme, according to charges unsealed by the special counsel on Thursday.
Wednesday 21 February 2018
New charges have been filed in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's criminal case against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and aide Rick Gates, but the charges were put under seal by the court, obscuring the nature and import of the development.
Tuesday 20 February 2018
Alex van der Zwaan admitted making false or misleading statements regarding email communications with Richard Gates.
He is accused of making false statements regarding communications he had with Rick Gates, the former Trump campaign aide, about work done in Ukraine
Monday 19 February 2018
The special counsel just made it harder for the president to fire him. Maybe that helps explain this weekend’s fusillade of angry tweets from Mar-a-Lago.
Mueller's interest in Jared Kushner has expanded beyond his contacts with Russia and now includes his efforts to secure financing for his company from foreign investors during the presidential transition
Friday 16 February 2018
Mueller’s office has told a federal judge it has found evidence that Paul Manafort ... committed bank fraud not addressed by the indictment last October in which he was charged with money laundering and failure to register as a foreign agent.
The indictment charges that the foreigners falsely posed as American citizens, stole identities and otherwise engaged in fraud and deceit in an effort to influence the U.S. political process, including the 2016 presidential race.
Thursday 15 February 2018
The judge criticized both sides Wednesday for failing to set a trial date in special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s prosecution of the two co-defendants.
Former Trump campaign adviser Rick Gates is finalizing a plea deal with special counsel Robert Mueller's office, indicating he's poised to cooperate in the investigation
Bannon spent a total of some 20 hours in conversations with the team led by Mueller
Friday 2 February 2018
Manafort alleged in his civil suit that "the Acting Attorney General’s order directing the Special Counsel to investigate certain matters exceeds the authority provided by the Department of Justice’s Special Counsel regulations."
Wednesday 31 January 2018
Starting an investigation at the FBI is a formal process, requiring agents to demonstrate evidence of a criminal predicate to move to what’s known as a “full field” investigation, and, similarly, closing an investigation requires a formal decision to “decline” charges.
The aim of the campaign against the Mueller investigation and the FBI is clear: Obstructing justice.
Tuesday 30 January 2018
"Here's how it would work: 'We're sorry, Mr. Mueller, you won't be able to run the federal grand jury today because he has to go testify to another federal grand jury.'"
Friday 26 January 2018
Thursday’s bombshell news points toward one conclusion: The special counsel has the goods on the president.
Thursday 25 January 2018
Trump ordered special counsel Robert Mueller to be fired last year but backed down after the White House’s top attorney threatened to resign
Special Counsel Robert Mueller is moving at a far faster pace than previously known and appears to be wrapping up at least one key part of his investigation -- whether President Donald Trump obstructed justice
Wednesday 24 January 2018
Mueller's request to question Trump, and news that his team has already interviewed fired FBI Director James Comey and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, indicate that the special counsel has a clear picture of where he is headed in what could turn into an obstruction of justice case
Wednesday 17 January 2018
Bannon ... will be interviewed by investigators working for the special counsel in the Russia investigation instead of testifying before a grand jury ... a sign that Mr. Bannon is cooperating with the inquiry.
In an ominous development for Republicans, a federal judge overseeing the upcoming trial of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and his deputy Rick Gates rejected Mueller’s request to begin in May and instead outlined a scheduled start as soon as September or October — peak election season.
Tuesday 16 January 2018
The move marked the first time Mr. Mueller is known to have used a grand jury subpoena to seek information from a member of Mr. Trump’s inner circle.
Friday 12 January 2018
...they want the trial to begin on May 14.
Wednesday 10 January 2018
Dickey’s addition is particularly notable because he is the first publicly known member of the team specializing solely in cyber issues.
Even if there were evidence of Trump personally plotting with Russia — and it may well be, squirreled away in Mueller’s files — it’s not clear whether this would constitute a crime. “Collusion” is not a legal term; Mueller would have to figure out which specific law Trump’s actions violated, which according to legal experts could be trickier than it might seem.
Monday 8 January 2018
Anticipating that Special Counsel Robert Mueller will ask to interview President Donald Trump, the president's legal team is discussing a range of potential options for the format, including written responses to questions in lieu of a formal sit-down
Sunday 31 December 2017
But Nunes’s moves coincide with what Democrats say is a coordinated GOP effort to shutter the House Intelligence Committee’s Russia probe, publicly absolve President Trump of the most serious allegations against him, and refocus the House’s resources against the law enforcement officials, such as Mueller, who continue to investigate Trump.
Saturday 30 December 2017
A growing campaign by President Trump’s most ardent supporters to discredit the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, and the law enforcement agencies assisting his investigation is opening new fissures in the Republican Party, with some lawmakers questioning the damage being done to federal law enforcement and to a political party that has long championed law and order.
Thursday 28 December 2017
Mueller’s team is trying to determine if members of the Trump campaign and Republican National Committee, who worked together on the digital arm of Trump’s campaign, provided assistance to Russian trolls attempting to influence voters.
Sunday 24 December 2017
Trump, while vowing to cooperate with the special counsel, has also encouraged attacks on Mueller’s credibility, tweeting that the investigation is “the greatest Witch Hunt in U.S. political history.”
Sunday 17 December 2017
A lawyer for Trump’s transition team contends that Mueller should not have been able to obtain a trove of emails from the period between Trump’s 2016 election victory and his Jan. 20 inauguration without the consent of transition officials.
Tuesday 12 December 2017
It’s unclear if Mueller will seek follow-up interviews or seek to question additional people beyond the initial batch of witnesses
Friday 8 December 2017
Prosecutors said that, by Monday, Manafort’s defense attorneys will have electronic copies of “400,000 items,” such as emails, bank and tax records, and documents from vendors Manafort allegedly paid with some of the money, and images of 36 electronic devices such as laptops, phones and thumb drives.
“Given the volume of discovery in this case, the government also produced to defendants certain documents that it identified as ‘hot,’” prosecutors said, with about 2,000 records in that category.
Tuesday 5 December 2017
Germany’s largest bank received a subpoena from Mueller several weeks ago to provide information on certain money and credit transactions, the person said, without giving details, adding key documents had been handed over in the meantime.
Monday 4 December 2017
According to a new court filing from Mr Mueller’s team, the legal cloud hanging over Mr Manafort has not prevented him from helping to pen an opinion piece about his Ukraine-related work.
Saturday 2 December 2017
Once inside, most witnesses are seated in a windowless conference room where two- and three-person teams of FBI agents and prosecutors rotate in and out, pressing them for answers. ... Often listening in is the special counsel himself, a sphinx-like presence who sits quietly along the wall for portions of key interviews.
Knowing that someone had committed a crime (by lying to the FBI) but encouraging agents to stop investigating is tantamount to obstruction of justice
The special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, removed a top F.B.I. agent this summer from his investigation into Russian election meddling after the Justice Department’s inspector general began examining whether the agent had sent text messages that expressed anti-Trump political views
Friday 1 December 2017
One person close to the White House described the mood this way: “What they’re freaked out about is that there are no leaks. Papadopoulos didn’t leak. Flynn didn’t leak. They feel like they can’t trust anyone. Their own counsel didn’t know.”
Retired Lt. Gen Michael Flynn has promised “full cooperation” in the special counsel’s Russia investigation and, according to a confidant, is prepared to testify that Donald Trump directed him to make contact with the Russians, initially as a way to work together to fight ISIS in Syria.
There's one reason — one criminal charge, actually — that lets us safely assume Michael Flynn switched sides: He pleaded guilty to one charge of lying to the FBI, when there's so much more the special counsel could have potentially nabbed him for.
“The best explanation for why Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III would agree to it is that Flynn has something very valuable to offer in exchange: damaging testimony on someone else.”
The charge brings the criminal case into the Trump White House and raises questions about who else in the administration Mueller could be eyeing.
Thursday 23 November 2017
Lawyers for Michael T. Flynn ... notified the president’s legal team in recent days that they could no longer discuss the special counsel’s investigation, according to four people involved in the case — an indication that Mr. Flynn is cooperating with prosecutors or negotiating a deal.
Thursday 16 November 2017
Mueller’s decision to request an interview with Hicks ... also indicates he’s reached a critical point in the overall investigation... Typically, conversations with such senior-level aides are saved for near the end of a probe.
Sunday 5 November 2017
Documents released last week as part of Papadopoulos’s guilty plea show that Mueller’s team is deeply interested in the Trump campaign’s operations, including possible links to Moscow, at even the lowest levels.
Saturday 4 November 2017
"There’s been no indication that the President or the White House are not cooperating with the special counsel."
“’Distort, detract, deny’ is a common playbook for defense lawyers ... I wouldn’t expect the lawyers to sit back or withhold any tool in a quest to undermine the perception of Mueller’s legitimacy.”
Friday 3 November 2017
...a measure that, while nonbinding, would put the House on record describing Mueller, a former FBI director, as unfit to lead the probe because of his relationship with James Comey, his successor at the bureau.
Tuesday 31 October 2017
Trump’s longtime aide and current communications director, Hope Hicks, is scheduled to speak with special counsel Robert Mueller’s team in mid-November, following the president’s trip to Asia
Monday 30 October 2017
The unusual move is an indication of the aggressiveness of special counsel Robert Mueller's prosecution team as they prepared to indict Manafort and Gates on charges of money laundering and failing to register as foreign agents.
The president of the United States had as his campaign chairman a man who had allegedly served for years as an unregistered foreign agent for a puppet government of Vladimir Putin
A member of President Trump’s campaign team admits that he was working with people he knew to be tied to the Russian government to “arrange a meeting between the Campaign and the Russian government officials” and to obtain “dirt” on Hillary Clinton
... the most important story of the weekend was a Brooke Singman Fox News piece titled “Mueller facing new Republican pressure to resign in Russia probe.”
The journalism in the story is laughable, but the message is clear and important: When Trump decides to fire Mueller (and possibly pardon the targets of his investigation) to spare himself and his family from accusations of serious wrongdoing, America’s premiere propaganda broadcaster will have his back.
Mr. Manafort, the president’s former campaign chairman, and his longtime associate Rick Gates, surrendered to the FBI on Monday. The special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, said Mr. Manafort laundered more than $18 million to buy properties and services.
Saturday 28 October 2017
The charges are still sealed under orders from a federal judge. Plans were prepared Friday for anyone charged to be taken into custody as soon as Monday, the sources said. It is unclear what the charges are.
Tuesday 17 October 2017
Spicer was grilled about the firing of former FBI director James Comey and his statements regarding the firing, as well as about Trump’s meetings with Russian officials
Friday 13 October 2017
“Mr. Priebus was voluntarily interviewed by Special Counsel Mueller’s team today. He was happy to answer all of their questions"
Monday 18 September 2017
“They seem to be pursuing this more aggressively, taking a much harder line, than you’d expect to see in a typical white-collar case,” ... “This is more consistent with how you’d go after an organized crime syndicate.”
Sunday 17 September 2017
At the heart of the clash is an issue that has challenged multiple presidents during high-stakes Washington investigations: how to handle the demands of investigators without surrendering the institutional prerogatives of the office of the presidency.
The uncertainty has grown to the point that White House officials privately express fear that colleagues may be wearing a wire to surreptitiously record conversations for Mr. Mueller.
Thursday 14 September 2017
Trump berated Attorney General Jeff Sessions in an Oval Office meeting and said he should resign
Wednesday 13 September 2017
The president's friends are most worried about Mueller digging into past business deals, which is why his team keeps raising concerns in public and private about the "scope" of the investigation.
Monday 11 September 2017
Had Comey never been fired, Bannon told CBS, the bureau’s Russia investigation would not have metastasized into the special investigation currently led by Robert Mueller.
Friday 8 September 2017
In addition to Priebus, Spicer and Hicks, Mueller has notified the White House he will probably seek to question White House counsel Don McGahn and one of his deputies, James Burnham.
Friday 1 September 2017
The letter, drafted in May, was met with opposition from Donald F. McGahn II, the White House counsel, who believed that its angry, meandering tone was problematic
Wednesday 30 August 2017
The cooperation is the latest indication that the federal probe into President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman is intensifying.
Monday 28 August 2017
They're interested in learning what Trump knew about the meeting and whether he tried to hide its purpose.
DeSantis has put forward a provision that would halt funding for Mueller’s probe six months after the amendment’s passage. It also would prohibit Mueller from investigating matters that occurred before June 2015, when Trump launched his presidential campaign.
Friday 25 August 2017
The requests suggest that Mueller’s investigators are looking closely at Manafort and Flynn
Thursday 24 August 2017
...shortly after Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) introduced a bill that would let Mueller appeal his firing in court, Trump called up Tillis, signaled he was “unhappy” with the bill and said he didn’t want it to pass.
Saturday 12 August 2017
Trump’s allies are particularly concerned about Mr. Mueller’s interest in talking to Mr. Priebus ... Mr. Trump’s confidants at the White House say Mr. Trump was never fully convinced that Mr. Priebus would be loyal to him.
Friday 11 August 2017
The list of people he has been willing, even eager, to publicly attack includes not just Mitch McConnell, his latest target, but Jeff Sessions, Chuck Schumer, Paul D. Ryan, John McCain, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
And don’t forget James B. Comey, Robert S. Mueller III, Andrew G. McCabe, Rod J. Rosenstein, John D. Podesta, Nancy Pelosi, Lisa Murkowski, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rosie O’Donnell, Meryl Streep, the mayor of London and the cast of “Saturday Night Live.”
But for all of that feistiness ... there is one person who is definitely not on Mr. Trump’s target list: President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.
Thursday 10 August 2017
“I haven’t given it any thought. Well, I’ve been reading about it from you people. You say, ‘Oh, I’m going to dismiss him.’ No, I’m not dismissing anybody. I mean, I want them to get on with the task.”
Part of the reason Manafort is getting intense early scrutiny is that Mueller is drawing on investigations that were well underway, including one by federal prosecutors in Manhattan, when he was appointed in May.
Monday 7 August 2017
He is both faulting the media for allegedly downplaying the size and intensity of support from his base and accusing them of trying to deliberately weaken that support for him.
Friday 4 August 2017
Though not a formal subpoena, the document request is the first known instance of Mr. Mueller’s team asking the White House to hand over records.
Thursday 3 August 2017
Competing bipartisan Senate bills introduced Thursday put President Donald Trump on further notice that any move to fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller wouldn’t go down without a serious fight.
It means Mueller believes that there is sufficient evidence that a crime was committed to warrant a criminal investigation.
Merely impaneling a grand jury does not mean that Mueller will ultimately seek an indictment, although most grand jury investigations do result in someone being indicted.
Tuesday 1 August 2017
Greg Andres started on Tuesday, becoming the 16th lawyer on the team
Friday 28 July 2017
Trump’s actions appear aimed at destroying the fundamental independence of the Justice Department.
Sessions would, in a real sense, be collateral damage from Trump’s escalating war with Mueller. That’s because getting rid of Mueller would require getting rid of Sessions first.
Thursday 27 July 2017
Graham said his bill ... would mandate that any special counsel established to investigate either a president or his staff can't be fired “unless you have judicial review of the firing.”
Friday 21 July 2017
Such transparency, Conway said, is within the spirit of the Trump administration, which has refused to release the president’s tax returns and has closed visitor logs to the public.
Trump has asked his advisers about his power to pardon aides, family members and even himself in connection with the probe
Thursday 20 July 2017
FBI investigators and others are looking at Russian purchases of apartments in Trump buildings, Trump’s involvement in a controversial SoHo development in New York with Russian associates, the 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow and Trump’s sale of a Florida mansion to a Russian oligarch in 2008
The transcript ... oozes with brooding grievance and reflects the degree to which he has adopted a bunker mentality. It also underscores how much Robert Mueller’s escalating investigation bothers and preoccupies the president six months into his term.
Friday 23 June 2017
The emphasis on their ties, besides being aimed at undermining Mueller’s credibility and the legitimacy of his investigation, could also be an attempt by Trump to make the case for an eventual Mueller dismissal on conflict of interest grounds.
Thursday 15 June 2017
FBI agents and federal prosecutors have also been examining the financial dealings of other Trump associates, including former national security adviser Michael Flynn, former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Carter Page
Wednesday 14 June 2017
The move ... marks a major turning point in the nearly year-old FBI investigation, which until recently focused on Russian meddling during the presidential campaign and on whether there was any coordination between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin.
Monday 12 June 2017
Collins and other Republicans said they had no indication Trump was considering firing Mueller. But lawmakers were taken by surprise last month when Trump fired Comey, who was then overseeing the Russia investigation.
(2) DOJ regulations give the top non-recused DOJ official the right to fire the Special Counsel ONLY for "good cause shown"—a high standard.
(7) If Trump attempts to fire Mueller *directly* without good cause, there's a substantial chance that Mueller would "refuse" to stand down.
(30) Trump also has a LIFELONG POLICY of acting unethically for as long as he can—UNTIL some final authority FORCES him to cease and desist.
Firing Mr. Mueller would be a politically explosive move that would raise new questions about Mr. Trump
Sunday 11 June 2017
“I'm not going to speculate on what he will, or will not, do.”
Saturday 10 June 2017
Mueller has been quietly and methodically building the equivalent of a small US attorney's office -- a team of formidable legal minds who've worked on everything from Watergate to Enron, unlikely to leave any stone unturned.
Thursday 25 May 2017
...the bureau can’t provide the memo until it consults with Robert Mueller
Friday 19 May 2017
...the White House began reviewing the Code of Federal Regulations, which restricts newly hired government lawyers from investigating their prior law firm’s clients for one year after their hiring
Mueller's former law firm, WilmerHale, represents Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner ... and the president's former campaign manager Paul Manafort
Congress, Trump and the Justice Department still have the power to stymie (or even terminate) Mueller’s inquiry.
Thursday 18 May 2017
“What I have determined is that based upon the unique circumstances the public interest requires me to place this investigation under the authority of a person who exercises a degree of independence from the normal chain of command,”
Wednesday 17 May 2017
With the stroke of a pen, Rod Rosenstein redeemed his reputation, preserved the justice system, pulled American politics back from the brink — and, just possibly, saved the Republican Party and President Trump from themselves.
Aides are now urging Trump to tweet and speak cautiously. "I think he actually understands what a mess this is," one person said. "He has lawyers telling him nonstop what the stakes are here."