Washington, D.C.
Trump a ‘subject’: Special counsel Robert Mueller has told President Trump’s lawyers that the president continues to be a “subject” of his investigation, but that he is not a criminal “target” at this time, The Washington Post reported this week. Prosecutors view someone as a subject when they are investigating the person’s conduct but lack sufficient evidence to bring charges. Mueller’s team made the disclosure to Trump’s attorneys last month, during ongoing negotiations over a possible presidential interview. Some of the president’s advisers are reportedly concerned that the special prosecutor could be trying to bait Trump into agreeing to sit for a legally perilous interview, noting that subjects of investigations can easily become targets. Mueller reportedly also suggested that he would release his findings in stages, starting with a report on Trump’s actions in office and possible obstruction of justice, potentially as early as June, and then moving on to Russian interference.
Mueller’s probe also secured its first sentencing this week, as a Dutch lawyer was ordered by a federal judge to spend 30 days in jail and pay a $20,000 fine for lying to the FBI. Alex van der Zwaan, 33, pleaded guilty to misleading investigators over his contacts in 2016 with a business associate of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his deputy, Rick Gates. Manafort, who is facing charges of conspiracy, money laundering, and bank fraud relating to his lobbying work in Ukraine, is seeking to have his charges dismissed on the basis that Mueller’s probe is exceeding its legal authority. But in response to the legal challenge, Mueller revealed this week that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein explicitly authorized him last August to investigate whether Manafort colluded with Russia during the presidential campaign.