A federal grand jury has approved the first set of charges filed by special investigator Robert Mueller and his team, and those charged could be in custody as soon as this Monday. CNN reports that the charges are still sealed, and it is currently unknown what the charges are and who is getting charged.
This news comes just hours after Fox News reported that conservatives are pressuring to have Mueller resign or be removed following a conflict of interest due to his relationship with former FBI director James Comey.
“The federal code could not be clearer – Mueller is compromised by his apparent conflict of interest in being close with James Comey,” Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., who first called for Mueller to step down over the summer, said in a statement to Fox News on Friday. “The appearance of a conflict is enough to put Mueller in violation of the code. … All of the revelations in recent weeks make the case stronger.”
Even New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie, a former federal prosecutor, and Trump colleague suggested on Friday that Mueller step down. “If the facts that you just laid out are true, then somebody with Bob Mueller’s integrity will step aside and should — if in fact those facts, as you laid them out, are true,” Christie said on “Fox & Friends,” Christie said to Fox News.
Who is Robert Mueller?
Robert Mueller was hired to lead the investigation into Russian interference with the 2016 election and collusion between the Russian government and Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. Many people following the investigation are wondering who the charges have been filed against.
After President Donald Trump fired former FBI Director James Comey, Mueller was appointed as special counsel. Mueller took over the federal investigation that Comes first started in July 2016. Mueller is hired to investigate “any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation,” according to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.
Russia Investigation
CNN reports Mueller’s team has examined foreign lobbying orchestrated by former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, former national security adviser Michael Flynn and other people associated with the Trump campaign. Mueller has also issued subpoenas for documents and testimony, including a Trump Tower meeting between Russians and campaign officials. In fact, the New York Times broke a story on Friday that the Kremlin was made aware of the scheduled meeting between Donald Trump’s son and the Russian government connected attorney Natalia Veselnitskaya.