Details: On what could be in the Mueller report?

[Boats]

Details: On what could be in the Mueller report?
By: Martin Finucane, Rebecca Ostriker, Saurabh Datar, Irfan Uraizee & Patrick Garvin 3/23/19
RE: https://apps.bostonglobe.com/news/po...-report/?break

On Friday afternoon, special counsel Robert Mueller submitted his long-awaited report to Attorney General William Barr with results of his investigation into any potential links between President Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and the Russian government, as well as other related matters. Based on previous indictments and published accounts, what are the allegations the report might address?

Question: Is the Mueller report likely to cover conspiracy?

Reply: YES, IT’S LIKELY

For many, this is the biggest question: Was there collusion? Was there a conspiracy involving Russia, Trump, and his associates to secure the presidential 2016 election? Mueller’s investigation has led to indictments of Russians for allegedly conspiring to influence the election, and the Mueller report is likely to discuss that. But beyond this, it’s unclear whether there will be any suggestion of additional conspiracy in the report.

What’s happened so far?

1. Media reports have pointed to a number of questionable contacts and dealings between Trump and his associates and Russia.

2. Contacts: Trump and associates had a host of contacts with Russians during the campaign, and they repeatedly denied having such contacts.

3. Moscow tower deal:

a. Trump secretly tried to secure a deal to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. Negotiations continued through much of the 2016 campaign on the deal, which would have been highly profitable for Trump.

b. Trump Tower meeting: Trump’s son Donald Jr., son-in-law Jared Kushner, and then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort met at Trump Tower with a “Russian government attorney” and others promising dirt on Democrat Hillary Clinton. Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen suggested in recent testimony that Trump knew about the meeting in advance.

c. Campaign collaboration: Manafort, who’d worked for pro-Russian figures in Ukraine and was in debt to a Russian oligarch, gave Trump campaign polling data to an associate linked to a Russian intelligence service.

d. Hacking: Russian operatives hacked the e-mails of the Democratic National Committee and the chairman of Democrat Hillary Clinton’s campaign to help Trump, and gave them to Wikileaks. Trump confidant Roger Stone claimed to be in contact with Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, prosecutors say, and Stone told Trump in advance about Wikileaks’ release of the e-mails, according to former Trump attorney Michael Cohen.

e. Influence operations: Russian operatives conducted information warfare against the United States via social media to help Trump and undermine other political candidates and the political system.

f. Kompromat: A dossier compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele, which made headlines days before Trump took office, alleged that Trump engaged in sexual behavior during a trip to Moscow that provided “kompromat” (compromising material) for Russia and made him vulnerable to blackmail.

g. Bromance with Putin: Trump has repeatedly praised Russian president Vladimir Putin. He has met with Putin with no aides present and taken steps to hide what was said, including taking his interpreter’s notes.

h. Sanctions: Trump officials reportedly orchestrated a change to the Republican party platform to weaken US support for Ukraine against Russia. The Trump administration also lifted sanctions on three Russian firms tied to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska and declined to impose new sanctions on Russia, despite a law meant to punish Russian meddling in the election.

Question: Who has been charged with or convicted of conspiracy?

Reply: Butina & 13 Russian agents

Question: Is the Mueller report likely to cover obstruction of justice?

Reply: YES, IT’S LIKELY

Mueller’s team investigated whether Trump took any steps to obstruct justice, including by firing FBI director James Comey. The report does not call for further indictments, according to a senior Justice Department official. But it’s likely to cover the findings of that
investigation.

Question(s): What’s happened so far?

According to reports, Trump has repeatedly tried to stymie investigations into him and his associates.

a. Flynn investigation: Trump asked FBI director James Comey to stop an investigation into Trump’s then-national security adviser, Michael Flynn, according to Comey. Flynn has since pleaded guilty.

b. Firing of Yates, Bharara: Trump fired Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates and Preet Bharara, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York; both were conducting investigations linked to Trump.

c. Firing of Comey: Trump fired Comey, who was investigating Russian election meddling and possible collusion, triggering an FBI investigation into whether Trump obstructed justice. Trump told Russians visiting the White House that firing Comey had relieved “great pressure” on him. He told NBC News’s Lester Holt that when he’d fired Comey, “I said to myself, I said: ‘You know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story.” Comey later testified that he believed Trump fired him because of the investigation.

d. Criticism of Sessions: After Comey’s firing, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed Mueller as special counsel to lead the investigation. Rosenstein was in charge of the probe because Attorney General Jeff Sessions had recused himself. Trump attacked Sessions relentlessly, saying he would never have appointed Sessions if he’d known he would recuse himself. Trump even tried to remove Sessions at one point.

e. Attacks on Mueller probe: Trump has publicly attacked the Mueller investigation many times, calling it a “witch hunt.” He has also lashed out repeatedly at Comey, the Justice Department, Sessions, and intelligence agencies.

f. Attempted firing of Mueller: Trump ordered the firing of Mueller but backed down after the White House counsel threatened to resign rather than carry out the order.

g. New York probe: Trump asked then-acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker to put Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York and a Trump ally, in charge of a probe into Trump’s role in hush-money payments to women during the 2016 campaign. But Berman had already recused himself.

h. Pardon dangle: A Trump lawyer reached out to lawyers for Manafort and Flynn to discuss possible pardons, raising questions about whether he was trying to dissuade them from cooperating with Mueller.

Question: So who has been charged with or convicted of obstruction of justice?

Reply: Manafort - Stone - Kilimnik

Question: Is the Mueller report likely to cover false statements?

Reply: YES, IT’S LIKELY

a. The Mueller investigation has led to criminal prosecutions of several Trump associates for making false statements to authorities, and those charges are likely to be covered in the report. Beyond that, it’s unclear what the report may include.

Question: What’s happened so far?

Reply:

a. Trump’s propensity for making false statements is well known. And lying to the FBI, Congress, or the special prosecutor has already gotten six Trump associates in trouble: Trump’s former presidential campaign chairman and deputy campaign chairman, national security advisor, personal lawyer, and two advisers.

b. Sheer volume: The Washington Post has tallied nearly 9,000 false or misleading statements by Trump since he took office.

c. “Perjury trap”: Trump’s lawyers resisted having Trump answer Mueller’s questions in person because they feared a “perjury trap”: Trump might make a false statement and increase his exposure to criminal charges.

d. Trump aides: Five Trump associates have been caught lying by Mueller’s team and seen consequences: Paul Manafort, Michael Cohen, Michael Flynn, Rick Gates, and George Papadopoulos. Trump adviser Roger Stone has also been charged with making false statements.

Question: Whose been charged with or convicted of perjury or making false statements?

Reply: Cohen - Flynn - Gates - Papadopoulos - Stone

Question: Is the Mueller report likely to cover campaign finance violations?

Reply: IT’S UNCLEAR

Mueller’s team investigated Trump’s then-personal attorney Michael Cohen before referring matters to federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York, where Cohen ultimately pleaded guilty to violating campaign finance law. Because Mueller’s team did not handle that case, it’s unclear whether his report will cover it.

Question: What’s happened so far?

Reply:

a. Trump is facing possible legal trouble because he allegedly directed his then-attorney Michael Cohen to make large hush-money payments to two women to prevent a sex scandal in advance of the 2016 election. Such payments, if designed to influence the election, may be considered illegal “in kind” campaign contributions.

b. Hush money: Michael Cohen has admitted in court to orchestrating a scheme to buy the silence of two women, Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, who said they had affairs with Trump.

c. Trump’s alleged involvement: Both Cohen and prosecutors have alleged that Cohen made the payments at the direction of Trump.

d. Involvement as president: Cohen testified to Congress that Trump, after he took office, reimbursed him for the hush-money payments and told him to lie about them.

e. Trump tower meeting: Federal law bars foreigners from contributing to political campaigns, and experts say that can include even promises of non-cash support, possibly including opposition research. Since the law also prohibits Americans from aiding or inviting such support, that might spell trouble for Donald Trump Jr. and others.

Question: Who has been charged with or convicted of campaign finance violations?

Reply: Cohen

Question: Is the Mueller report likely to cover money laundering?

Reply: YES, IT’S LIKELY

Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was convicted of charges including money laundering, and the Mueller report is likely to cover that. But beyond that, the scope of the report is unclear. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House intelligence committee, stated that Mueller “can’t be doing much of a money laundering investigation” if he didn’t subpoena Deutsche Bank, which loaned hundreds of millions of dollars to Trump.

Question: What’s happened so far?

Reply: Questions have been raised about Trump’s financial ties to Russians and whether his company may have laundered money for them.

Reply: Property sales: Russians have invested large sums of money in Trump-branded properties for years, often paying cash or using shell companies to hide their identities -- actions that can raise red flags as a way to launder money.

Reply: Deutsche Bank: Trump owes hundreds of millions of dollars to Deutsche Bank, which has been penalized for a Russian money-laundering scheme, raising questions that House Democrats want answered.

Question: Who has been charged with or convicted of money laundering?

Question: Is the Mueller report likely to cover charity improprieties?

Reply: NO, IT’S UNLIKELY

The New York attorney general’s office has filed a lawsuit alleging illegal activity at Trump’s personal charity, but the Mueller team has not reportedly been involved.

Question: What’s happened so far?

a. Questions have been raised about how Trump used his personal charity, the Donald J. Trump Foundation.

b. Charity shutdown: Trump has agreed to close down his foundation and give away its money amid allegations that he used it for personal and political gain, as the New York attorney general pursues a lawsuit alleging “persistently illegal conduct” there.

Question: Is the Mueller report likely to include unexpected allegations?

Reply: IT’S UNCLEAR

Some aspects of Mueller’s investigation reportedly remain active and may be pursued further by others. It’s unclear whether Mueller’s report will outline those ongoing lines of inquiry, or any allegations they might involve.

Question: What’s happened so far?

Reply: A variety of other investigations are reportedly underway into the activities of Trump and associates.

a. Inaugural committee probe: Federal prosecutors from the US attorney’s offices in both Manhattan and Brooklyn are looking into Trump’s inaugural committee, including possible illegal foreign contributions.

b. Congressional investigations: Congressional committees have launched multiple investigations into Trump, his businesses, his presidential campaign, and his administration.

c. Trump organization financing: The New York attorney general is investigating the bank financing of four Trump Organization projects and an unsuccessful attempt to buy the Buffalo Bills football team.

d. Middle East probe: According to one report, the Mueller team has been investigating Middle Eastern nations’ efforts to influence American politics.

e. Emoluments: Maryland and the District of Columbia are suing Trump, saying he profited from the presidency, in violation of the Constitution, by accepting payments from foreign and domestic government visitors at his D.C. hotel.

f. Undocumented workers: Democratic lawmakers have urged the FBI to probe the Trump Organization's hiring of undocumented immigrants.