Robert Mueller swings for the fences
With the nation having been rightfully gripped by the Stoneman Douglas shooting and the sorely needed resulting fight for gun control, it’s been easy to overlook the fact that Donald Trump’s Russia scandal is reaching a fever pitch. Special Counsel Robert Mueller has been making major moves for the past week. Some of them have been gotten more attention than others. Some of them have been easier to figure out than others. But it’s clear that Mueller is now swinging for the fences.
By now you’ve surely heard that Mueller indicted thirteen Russians who conspired to rig the election in Trump’s favor. You may have also heard that Mueller obtained a guilty plea from a Trump-Russia attorney who misled investigators, and that Mueller has agreed to a plea deal with former Trump adviser Rick Gates. Other key moves from Mueller have received less attention than they should.
For instance, Mueller filed a sealed document in the Gates-Manafort case yesterday which appears to include, among other things, additional criminal charges against Paul Manafort. Why does this matter? Gates is selling out Manafort in order to get his plea deal. Mueller is now making a full court press to force Manafort to cut a plea deal against Trump. Manafort likely has dirt on Trump going back decades and ranging from the recent Trump-Russia election plot, to Trump’s past Russian money laundering exploits.
Overlooked in all of this is the fact that Robert Mueller is preparing to take his big swing at Donald Trump when it comes to obstruction of justice charges. A few weeks ago, Mueller told Trump’s lawyers that he wants to interview Trump about it. Those few weeks are basically up. Whether Trump grants the interview or not, it’s a sign that Mueller has everything he needs to bring obstruction charges against Trump. These past few days we’ve merely been watching Mueller line up all his pieces before he takes his big swing at Trump. Help support Palmer Report
Bill Palmer is the publisher of the political news outlet Palmer Report