Russia probe: Why skeletons in aides’ cupboards worry Donald Trump

Sleuths are probing deep and there are basically three kinds of crimes special counsel

Robert Mueller

’s team might uncover:

1. Crimes directly related to the election
Whether Trump’s team was involved in conspiracy to hack Hillary Clinton’s email, or violated campaign laws by seeking help from a foreign source.

2. Crimes committed during the probe itself
Witness intimidation, perjury, obstruction of justice, etc.

3. Crimes committed by Trump aides/associates even before they joined the campaign
This would be like the money laundering and tax fraud crimes Manafort is charged with.

The president could be in trouble
Mueller could simply make a report to the US House of Representatives with evidence of “high crimes and misdemeanours” and if the evidence were damning enough, it would put a lot of pressure on the House to begin impeachment proceedings. Thus, Mueller can take the first step towards ending Trump’s presidency.

Mueller has wide powers
Mueller has power to convene a federal grand jury (which he already has) and seek criminal indictments against person/s against whom evidence is found. If the grand jury signs off, that person is then arrested and charged, just like Manafort and Rick Gates.

A demonstrator dressed as US special prosecutor Robert Mueller attends a protest against Donald Trump outside Issa's office in Vista.
Can Mueller go for Trump?
Mueller has the legal authority to bring charges against any of Trump’s family members or associates. But there’s a legal debate on whether it’s constitutional for prosecutors to indict the president himself (no president has ever been indicted on serious criminal charges by a state or federal attorney).

Did firing

FBI

chief

James Comey

really help?
A probe into Russian links to Trump campaign was started by FBI in 2016 after hacking of democratic committee emails. But on May 9, 2017, Trump fired then-FBI director James Comey, who was overseeing the probe. On May 17, deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein appointed Mueller as special counsel to probe links between Trump campaign and Russia.

Trump can sack Mueller, but it’s complicated
Only the attorney general can fire the special counsel. Due to attorney general Jeff Sessions’s recusal from all campaign-related investigations, Mueller is reporting to Rosenstein. However, Trump does have the authority to fire Rosenstein himself. The choice would then fall to Rachel Brand, No. 3 in the justice department, after Sessions and Rosenstein. If she also refuses, Trump would have to keep going until he finally found an official willing to fire Mueller.

Who is Mueller?
* He served as FBI director for 12 years under George W Bush and Barack Obama.

* He was earlier a Marine Corps veteran who fought in Vietnam and later served in justice department posts and private sector law firms.

* After Comey’s firing and before he was named special counsel, Mueller was in the mix to return to his old post as FBI director.

FBI Director Robert Mueller awaiting the start of a hearing before the

Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill

in Washington. (AFP File Photo)

Trump camp says Mueller’s team is biased
Trump says Mueller was too close to Comey to be able to impartially investigate the man who fired him and claims Mueller has hired a number of people with links to the Democrats who are, therefore, biased against Trump’s Republican administration.

(Source: Vox.com)