The busy week of Mueller offers new signs his report is coming

The Mueller probe seems to be in the final stretch.

Some Trump aides and advisors have been making this claim for over a year, with little justification. But signs are mounting that this is finally happening.

History continues below

Several arrived in a particularly busy week for Robert Mueller's investigation into the interference in the 2016 Russian elections, giving multiple indications that the work of the special council ended with a final report to the Ministry of Justice.

On Wednesday, a federal judge sentenced Paul Manafort to a second term of imprisonment. That shut the door to Mueller's pursuit of former Trump campaign president, who would put Manafort in jail until the end of 2024 if President Donald Trump does not forgive him or commute his sentence.

Meanwhile, more clues appeared this week suggesting that the Mueller probe is coming to an end. Sure On Tuesday, the special advocate's lawyers told a federal judge that they had all the information they needed from the former national security advisor, Michael Flynn, who Cooperates with Mueller's team since he pleaded guilty in December 2017 to having lied to the FBI.

Two key members of Mueller's team are also leaving. The FBI confirmed last Friday that its senior officer in charge of the special council team had been reassigned to the direction of the office's exterior office in Richmond. A spokesman for Mueller on Thursday issued a rare public statement confirming that one of the bureau's attorneys, Andrew Weissmann, was planning to complete his term "in the near future".

"The signs I see are all going in the direction of an investigation that ends," said Patrick Cotter, a former federal prosecutor who worked with Weissmann on organized crime cases. "[We are] probably a few weeks or even a month or more from the release of the final report, but a fairly comprehensive project has already been circulated within the Mueller team. "

Cotter said he would be surprised that Weissmann left before examining Mueller's full conclusions, making his departure a sign that the report – which Mueller must pass on to his superiors of the Department of Justice – is almost complete. "His knowledge, experience and skills are too important for Mueller not to use him as the lead author of such a report. And I do not think he would leave if he thought that important new information and important accusations still needed to be made, "he added.

While Mueller and his superiors of the Department of Justice say nothing official about the conclusion of the work of the special council, the Congress is preparing for the big moment. This week, by unanimous vote, the House of Commons called on Attorney General William Barr to release the final report of the special council.

Even though Mueller's investigation is nearing completion, his prosecution will continue for months. On Thursday, a judge set November 5 as the opening of the trial of Trump's former political advisor, Roger Stone, accused of lying to Congress for attempting to contact Wikileaks during the campaign. 2016.

Here is a summary of all the major events of the week in the Mueller probe:

Paul Manafort: The former president of the Trump campaign finally learned how long he would spend in a federal prison – nearly 7.5 years – after US District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson on Wednesday sentenced the last part of his sentence for a series of lobbying and obstruction crimes that have been closed. in Manafort's guilty plea last fall.

Jackson concurred with Judge TS Ellis III, who sentenced Manafort earlier this month for his conviction in Virginia for financial fraud, said the long-time GOP official could get a credit for nine months he has already been to two remand centers since he was imprisoned last June for witness tampering.

Manafort's lawyers have requested that the remainder of his sentence be served in Cumberland, Maryland, although this decision is the responsibility of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Federal prosecutors have also begun asking Manafort for compensation of about $ 24 million related to his crimes, which involves the confiscation of several of his properties in New York, as well as bank accounts and a police force. 39; life insurance. He must also pay a fine of $ 50,000.

Manafort still seems to be playing for Trump's forgiveness or commutation of sentence. This week, in court, Manafort 's lawyer, Kevin Downing, has invoked a favorite president' s argument: Mueller had revealed no evidence of collusion between the Russia and Trump campaign, even though he 's not sure what he' s doing. His client's business was never on the subject. Mueller judged Manafort for his lucrative political work in Ukraine, which ended before the 2016 elections.

But any help from Trump will not protect Manafort from further charges against him in New York, where the Manhattan district attorney got an indictment this week against a grand jury of 16 counts for mortgage fraud and other alleged state crimes. A presidential pardon can not absolve a convicted person at the state level.

Roger Stone: Trump's long-time partner had a trial date in early November for allegedly misleading legislators over his 2016 contacts with WikiLeaks, who published thousands of stolen emails from the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton campaigners . This means that Supreme Court jurors will begin to hear his case just as the one – year countdown begins before the next presidential election.

Stone's lawyers, at a court hearing, acknowledged receiving nine terabytes of government information, allegedly stacked "twice at the Washington Monument." His lawyers also set April 12 as the deadline for filing motions to reverse the case, something they reported in earlier filings that referred to "selective or vindictive prosecutions" and "error in the process." of the grand jury."

Mueller's plans to try Stone are unclear. Special adviser Jeannie Rhee took charge of Thursday's hearing at the hearing while Weissmann, who was soon to leave, made an appearance in the audience room, sitting just next to the bar, with other members of the support staff. The government also has two US D.C. assistant lawyers who are generally seen as ready to be handed over to the government if the special council were to close the shop by November.

For his part, Stone launched a fundraiser Thursday evening with a photo of him, his wife and Trump. Stone said he needed money to defeat the special advocate 's charges and "be free to help the president' s reelection in 2020.

Michael Flynn: Trump's former National Security Advisor continues to consider US Judge Emmet Sullivan's advice, urging Flynn in December to wait until he has exhausted all requests for cooperation before accepting the conviction.

In a joint situation report, Mueller prosecutors acknowledged on Wednesday that Flynn could still be called to testify at the government's next trial against his former trading partner, Bijan Rafiekian, for failing to disclose the lobbying at the company. abroad by Turkey. But the special council office also said it viewed Flynn's cooperation as "otherwise complete".

In a separate case related to the Rafiekian case, defense lawyers revealed this week having seen notes of interviews with the FBI suggesting that Flynn had helped prosecutors in several "ongoing investigations". Government lawyers at Friday's hearing said some of the investigations concerned Mueller's office. and some involve other prosecutors, although they have not gone into details.

Rick Gates: The former Trump campaign MP is still cooperating with federal prosecutors in "several ongoing investigations" and is not yet ready to be convicted.

That was the conclusion of a joint situation report of a page filed in federal court in California, the fifth of its kind since Mr. Gates pleaded guilty to financial fraud and lying to investigators last February.

It is not known if the ongoing Gates cooperation still involves the Mueller probe. But Friday's record suggests that Gates could help federal prosecutors in New York who are investigating Trump's inauguration committee, which he has helped steer alongside property developer and longtime friend, Tom. Barrack. The committee wonders about the source of his donations and how he spent $ 107 million on transportation.

Another common situation report for Gates is to be presented to the court by May 14th.

Josh Gerstein contributed to this report.