FBI Director Robert Mueller III testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee during a oversight hearing on Capitol Hill December 14, 2011 in Washington, D.C. Mueller testified on the topic of 'Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.' (Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Trump-Russia Probe Becoming 'Very Serious' as Mueller Assembles Grand Jury
"Legal experts said that the decision by Mueller to impanel a grand jury suggests he believes he will need to subpoena records and take testimony from witnesses."
This post may be updated.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that Special Counsel Robert Mueller--who is investigating possible collusion between the Trump administration and Russia--has assembled a grand jury in Washington, a move many interpreted as a sign his probe is progressing and becoming "very serious."
"Grand juries are powerful investigative tools that allow prosecutors to subpoena documents, put witnesses under oath and seek indictments, if there is evidence of a crime," the Journal summarizes. "Legal experts said that the decision by Mueller to impanel a grand jury suggests he believes he will need to subpoena records and take testimony from witnesses."
"A grand jury in Washington is also more convenient for Mr. Mueller and his 16 attorneys--they work just a few blocks from the U.S. federal courthouse where grand juries meet--than one that is 10 traffic-clogged miles away in Virginia," the Journal added.
This latest news comes on the heels of a CNN report that federal investigators are looking into "Trump and his associates' financial ties to Russia as one of the most fertile avenues for moving their probe forward."
Ty Cobb, special counsel to President Donald Trump, told the Wall Street Journal "he wasn't aware that Mueller had started using a new grand jury," but that "[t]he White House favors anything that accelerates the conclusion of his work fairly."
Though the White House continues to downplay the probe's significance and deny that the president himself is under investigation, former federal prosecutor Thomas Zeno told the Journal that Mueller's decision to impanel a grand jury indicates the investigation is in fact "very vigorous."
"This doesn't mean he is going to bring charges," Zeno cautioned. "But it shows he is very serious. He wouldn't do this if it were winding down."
"Regardless of whether the president wants to continue to call Russian election interference 'fake news,' he and his administration must take this criminal investigation seriously and offer investigators their full cooperation," Karen Hobert Flynn, president of Common Cause, said in a statement on Thursday. "The president must not follow through with his threats to fire Robert Mueller, but if he does Congress must hold him and members of his administration accountable because no American, not even the president, is above the law."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
This post may be updated.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that Special Counsel Robert Mueller--who is investigating possible collusion between the Trump administration and Russia--has assembled a grand jury in Washington, a move many interpreted as a sign his probe is progressing and becoming "very serious."
"Grand juries are powerful investigative tools that allow prosecutors to subpoena documents, put witnesses under oath and seek indictments, if there is evidence of a crime," the Journal summarizes. "Legal experts said that the decision by Mueller to impanel a grand jury suggests he believes he will need to subpoena records and take testimony from witnesses."
"A grand jury in Washington is also more convenient for Mr. Mueller and his 16 attorneys--they work just a few blocks from the U.S. federal courthouse where grand juries meet--than one that is 10 traffic-clogged miles away in Virginia," the Journal added.
This latest news comes on the heels of a CNN report that federal investigators are looking into "Trump and his associates' financial ties to Russia as one of the most fertile avenues for moving their probe forward."
Ty Cobb, special counsel to President Donald Trump, told the Wall Street Journal "he wasn't aware that Mueller had started using a new grand jury," but that "[t]he White House favors anything that accelerates the conclusion of his work fairly."
Though the White House continues to downplay the probe's significance and deny that the president himself is under investigation, former federal prosecutor Thomas Zeno told the Journal that Mueller's decision to impanel a grand jury indicates the investigation is in fact "very vigorous."
"This doesn't mean he is going to bring charges," Zeno cautioned. "But it shows he is very serious. He wouldn't do this if it were winding down."
"Regardless of whether the president wants to continue to call Russian election interference 'fake news,' he and his administration must take this criminal investigation seriously and offer investigators their full cooperation," Karen Hobert Flynn, president of Common Cause, said in a statement on Thursday. "The president must not follow through with his threats to fire Robert Mueller, but if he does Congress must hold him and members of his administration accountable because no American, not even the president, is above the law."
This post may be updated.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that Special Counsel Robert Mueller--who is investigating possible collusion between the Trump administration and Russia--has assembled a grand jury in Washington, a move many interpreted as a sign his probe is progressing and becoming "very serious."
"Grand juries are powerful investigative tools that allow prosecutors to subpoena documents, put witnesses under oath and seek indictments, if there is evidence of a crime," the Journal summarizes. "Legal experts said that the decision by Mueller to impanel a grand jury suggests he believes he will need to subpoena records and take testimony from witnesses."
"A grand jury in Washington is also more convenient for Mr. Mueller and his 16 attorneys--they work just a few blocks from the U.S. federal courthouse where grand juries meet--than one that is 10 traffic-clogged miles away in Virginia," the Journal added.
This latest news comes on the heels of a CNN report that federal investigators are looking into "Trump and his associates' financial ties to Russia as one of the most fertile avenues for moving their probe forward."
Ty Cobb, special counsel to President Donald Trump, told the Wall Street Journal "he wasn't aware that Mueller had started using a new grand jury," but that "[t]he White House favors anything that accelerates the conclusion of his work fairly."
Though the White House continues to downplay the probe's significance and deny that the president himself is under investigation, former federal prosecutor Thomas Zeno told the Journal that Mueller's decision to impanel a grand jury indicates the investigation is in fact "very vigorous."
"This doesn't mean he is going to bring charges," Zeno cautioned. "But it shows he is very serious. He wouldn't do this if it were winding down."
"Regardless of whether the president wants to continue to call Russian election interference 'fake news,' he and his administration must take this criminal investigation seriously and offer investigators their full cooperation," Karen Hobert Flynn, president of Common Cause, said in a statement on Thursday. "The president must not follow through with his threats to fire Robert Mueller, but if he does Congress must hold him and members of his administration accountable because no American, not even the president, is above the law."