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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe end of the rope is in view...
All sides in the Russia investigation are nearing the end of their rope. Something will have to give.
I think Trump has made up his mind to end the investigation as soon as he can get the Republicans to agree with him that Mueller should be fired. Then, they will only have to persuade Jeff Sessions it is the best for their Party and their future if the investigation is ended.
That portends a busy week ahead for Robert Mueller. We might expect some more big indictments? It is more difficult to fire a special prosecutor if he is actively pursuing criminal activity.
Somebody is going to turn loose the rope.
quartz007
(1,216 posts)before May day.
CrispyQ
(36,221 posts)The closer we get to the midterms, the more dangerous our situation. Trump could do anything, especially if he feels he'll lose control of the House.
democratisphere
(17,235 posts)legislation with an open roll call vote so the American people know who is with US and who is against US. It must be done this coming week.
YessirAtsaFact
(2,064 posts)Rosenstein would have to fire Mueller and I think he would resign rather than fire him.
Trump can get rid of Mueller, but it would involve firing DOJ leadership until someone in the chain of command would comply with the order to fire Mueller.
EL34x4
(2,003 posts)Granted, doing so would be a PR disaster (unless he had a valid reason for doing so) which is why they're already floating the idea out there that Session's recusal was based on a misinterpretation of the law.
Maaattcast
(18 posts)Whats so incredible is the Special Counsel has already indicted something like 19 people (Papadapolous, Gates, Manafort, Flynn, the Dutch lawyer who lied to investigators, the California man who gave fraudulent and stolen identities/bank accounts to Russian spies who had come to US soil to further their campaign to influence the 2016 election and the 13 Russians) plus 3 Russian companies. All told these 19 people and 3 Russian entities have been indicted on a combined total of nearly 100 charges ranging in everything from lying to the FBI, conspiracy to defraud the US, operating as an unregistered agent to a foreign power, money laundering, tax fraud, bank fraud, identity theft, failure to declare foreign bank accounts and submitting false FARA statements. And of all those already formally indicted 6 have already pleaded guilty to felony crimes and become cooperating witnesss while 1 other has been arrested, remains under house arrest and has trial dates already set in Alexandria and Washington for this summer and fall. All of this was done in just 10 months, making Muellers probe one of the most productive special counsel/independent prosecutor inquiries in history when comparing it to past investigations 10 months in. Mueller has more than proven the worthiness of this investigations and proven it is no witch hunt and yet our President tweets it should of never started. The Special Counsel office already has trial dates set in coming months for a defendant so it should already be difficult for Donald to make his argument and yet it hasnt stopped him. I dont think additional charges in the very near future will change the calculus here unfortunately. In fact, should he learn or sense that an indictment on someone close to him (like a Jared Kushner, Don Junior or perhaps roger stone) has been filed or is imminent that very well could lead him to hasten making a move on Mueller.
We know Mueller has been having witnesss testify to the Grand Jury in recent weeks, including those who had already given voluntary interviews with investigators (Sam Nunberg, and that consultant to the UAE, Nader) that would seem to indicate they have a target they are going after. All of the usual suspects that everyone had long thought had the most legal exposure have already been indicted or plead guilty (Manafort and Flynn namely), so whos left to go after that? Trump is clearly getting nervous. This could be a very interesting (and horrifying really) few weeks or months ahead of us.