Mueller enlists grand jury for Russia probe
UNITED STATES: Special Counsel Robert Mueller began using a grand jury in federal court in Washington, DC several weeks ago as part of his investigation of possible coordination between the Kremlin and the Trump election campaign, according to two people familiar with the inquiry.
The development is a sign that investigators are continuing to aggressively gather evidence in the case, and that Mueller is taking full control of an investigation that predated him.
In recent weeks and months, Mueller has been expanding the legal team working on the matter, and recently added Greg Andres, a longtime white-collar lawyer specialising in foreign bribery who previously worked in the Justice Department’s criminal division.
Mueller’s investigation now includes looking at whether President Donald Trump obstructed justice by firing FBI Director James Comey, as well as deep dives into the financial and other dealings of former national security adviser Michael Flynn and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort.
Federal prosecutors had previously been using a grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia, and even before Mueller was appointed they had increased their activity, issuing subpoenas and taking other investigative steps.
A White House adviser said Trump and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, had not received subpoenas, nor had the White House. Members of the president’s legal team met with Mueller three weeks ago to express their desire to work with his investigators.
A spokesman for Mueller declined to comment.
Ty Cobb, whom Trump appointed as White House special counsel, said of the grand jury: ‘‘This is news to me, but it’s welcome news to the extent it suggests that it may accelerate the resolution of Mr Mueller’s work.
‘‘The White House has every interest in bringing this to a prompt and fair conclusion. As we’ve said in the past, we’re committed to cooperating fully with Mr Mueller.’’
Mueller has largely removed the original prosecutors from the case, replacing them with a formidable collection of legal talent and expertise in prosecuting national security, fraud and public corruption cases, arguing matters before the Supreme Court, and assessing complicated legal questions.
In federal cases, a grand jury is not necessarily an indication that an indictment is imminent or even likely. Instead, it is a powerful investigative tool that prosecutors use to compel witnesses to testify or force people or companies to turn over documents.
Experts said Washington would be the appropriate place to convene a grand jury to examine actions taken by Trump since he became president and took up residence at the White House.
Many of the potential crimes Mueller’s team is investigating would have occurred in the District of Columbia, such as allegations that Trump aides or advisers made false statements in disclosure records or lied to federal agents.
Others said the choice could reflect Mueller’s reputation for planning ahead and gaming out a possible trial. He could have better chances convicting Trump’s aides in a city in which 90 per cent of voters supported Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.
The special counsel team took over the investigation when Mueller was appointed in May, and prosecutors from the Eastern District of Virginia were largely taken off the case.
Mueller’s team also absorbed an investigation of Manafort that was attempting to trace his sources of income and possible connections to the Russia case.
The grand jury in Virginia had issued a subpoena related to Flynn’s business, the Flynn Intel Group, which was paid more than US$500,000 by a company owned by a Turkish-american businessman close to top Turkish officials, said people familiar with the matter. A subpoena related to Manafort was also issued.
At a rally of his supporters in West Virginia yesterday, Trump dismissed allegations of collusion between his campaign and Russia as ‘‘a total fabrication’’, blaming the ongoing controversy on Democrats who still couldn’t get over the 2016 election result.
Trump made no mention of Mueller, but seemed to reference his and congressional investigations into the matter, saying: ‘‘I just hope the final determination is truly an honest one.’’
- Washington Post