Question: How much leeway does Mueller have?

[Jersey Devil]

Mueller now reports to Whitaker and according to what I have read, needs his approval for any further indictments. Yet, today Mueller charged and made a deal with Cohen. Does that mean he did not need approval for that?

As for Stone, Corsi, Don Jr., etc., would Mueller need approval from Whitaker to indict them? Or, perhaps, maybe Rosenstein already gave that approval before Whitaker took over and Whitaker is afraid to set that approval aside lest he be accused of obstruction.

Mueller will give a report on Manafort's lies to the court for presentencing and everyone expects he will detail his report to include stuff about Trump that Whitaker might sit on if included in Mueller's final report. So Mueller apparently does not need Whitaker's approval for that either.

[marylandblue]

1. Mueller doesn't actually need approval for anything

But the AG can ask for information about his steps and block something if it violates DOJ regulations. If he overrules Mueller, he eventually has to report to Congress on why he did so. So either Whitaker never asked about these things, or couldn't find a justification to block them.