Acting AG Matthew Whitaker told to reporters that Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election is close to wrapping up but Mueller has been tight-lipped about that
Monday, January 28, 2019
VietPress USA (Jan. 29, 2019): In
September 2013, President Barack Obama appointed James Comey to the position of
Director of the FBI. In that capacity, he was responsible for overseeing
the FBI's investigation of the Hillary Clinton email controversy. His role in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, particularly with regard to his public
communications, was highly controversial. Many Clinton supporters feel
that Comey's decisions might have cost her the presidency. In one of those
decisions, he reopened the investigation into Clinton's emails less than two
weeks before the election. Comey also received heavy criticism from
Republicans, in part after it was revealed that he had begun drafting an
exoneration letter for Clinton before the investigation was complete.
President Donald Trump dismissed
Comey on May 9, 2017. Statements from Trump and the White House suggested
that he had been dismissed to ease the "pressure" Trump was under due
to the Russia
investigation. Later that month, Comey arranged for a friend to
tell the press about a memo he had written after a February 14
private meeting with the president. It said Trump had asked him to end the
FBI's investigation into Michael Flynn,
the former National Security Advisor. The dismissal,
the memo, and Comey's subsequent Congressional testimony were interpreted by
some commentators as evidence of obstruction of justice by the President,
and became part of a widening investigation by Robert Mueller,
the Special Counsel appointed by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to
probe Russian
interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller is a nightmare to President Donald
Trump. Many times Trump asked former Attorney General Jeff Sessions to
terminate the position of Robert Mueller, but Jeff Sessions didn't agree.
Many people in Trump's
orbit have been charged by Mueller in the probe, including Trump's former
campaign manager, Paul Manafort, his former campaign deputy, Richard Gates, and
his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn. Recently his longtime
personal lawyer Michael Cohen was sentenced to 3 years in prison.
Mueller's investigation
most recently ensnared a long-time confidant of President Donald Trump,
political operative Roger Stone. Trump criticized Robert Mueller's
investigation as "Witch hunt" and fired AG Jeff Sessions to
replace Matthew Whitaker as acting Attorney General.
Bipartisan lawmakers of
Congress were doubt that Trump wants to use Matthew Whitaker to stop Robert
Mueller; but Congress blamed the Trump's appointment of Matthew Whitaker is
non-constitutional procedure.
Trump declared that he
doesn't know who Matthew Whitaker is, but prior to joining the Justice
Department as Sessions’ chief of staff in 2017, Whitaker served as a conservative
media pundit and made multiple comments raising skepticism about Mueller’s
investigation.
Those comments, coupled
with Whitaker’s friendship with Trump’s 2016 election co-chair, Sam Clovis,
have raised questions about whether Whitaker should recuse himself.
Trump therefore has
appointed William Bar as permanent AG. Barr said that Robert Mueller's
investigation must be continued to the end.
Read this news from Reuters on Yahoo News at:
VietPress USA News
Mueller probe 'close to being completed' -acting U.S. attorney general
By Andy Sullivan, Sarah N. Lynch and Lisa Lambert
Reuters•January 28, 2019
 |
| FILE PHOTO: Special Counsel Robert Mueller departs after briefing the House Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., June 20, 2017. REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein/File Photo/File Photo |
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election is close to wrapping up, Acting U.S. Attorney General Matthew Whitaker told reporters on Monday.
"I've been fully briefed on the investigation and I look forward to Director Mueller delivering the final report," he said at a press conference on U.S. charges against China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd.
"Right now the investigation is I think close to being completed and I hope that we can get the report from Director Mueller as soon as possible."
Whitaker's comments mark the first time a top government official with knowledge of the investigation has publicly confirmed the probe is in its final stages.
Media outlets have reported that Mueller's office could be close to issuing a final report on his investigation.
But Mueller has been tight-lipped about when the months of closed-door grand jury sessions and criminal charges will conclude, leaving questions over how far into the White House his probe will reach and what will happen to his findings.
Mueller's investigation most recently ensnared a long-time confidant of President Donald Trump, political operative Roger Stone.
Others in Trump's orbit have also been charged in the probe, including Trump's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, his former campaign deputy, Richard Gates, and his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn.
Trump's nominee to fill the attorney general post permanently, William Barr, recently pledged to make public as much of the report as possible, saying Mueller is required to file it confidentially.
But Barr has declined to pledge to release Mueller's report in its entirety, saying that some portions might need to remain confidential, such as decisions not to charge certain individuals.
Russia denies any wrongdoing in the 2016 election. Trump has repeatedly said he was not involved in any collusion with Russia and has often referred to the probe as a "witch hunt."
Whitaker's comments about the Mueller investigation are likely to trigger further inquiries from Democrats who have accused him of being illegally appointed and failing to heed ethics advice suggesting he should recuse himself from overseeing the Mueller investigation.
He is due to appear before the House Judiciary Committee on February 8, where he is expected to be peppered with questions over his role in the Mueller probe and whether he has taken steps to narrow it or limit what Mueller can investigate.
Whitaker was installed as acting attorney general in November, after Trump ousted Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Prior to joining the Justice Department as Sessions’ chief of staff in 2017, Whitaker served as a conservative media pundit and made multiple comments raising scepticism about Mueller’s investigation.
Those comments, coupled with Whitaker’s friendship with Trump’s 2016 election co-chair, Sam Clovis, have raised questions about whether Whitaker should recuse himself.
At Monday's press conference, Whitaker publicly addressed questions about his past statements on the Mueller probe, saying he made those comments as a private citizen who had access only to publicly available information.
(Reporting by Andy Sullivan and Sarah N. Lynch; Writing by Lisa Lambert; editing by Dan Grebler)
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