As much as Donald Trump may have hoped that the Mueller investigation would just go away, it appears to be far from over. An investigator and prosecutor like Robert Mueller, after all, is not going to quit his job without thoroughly performing it.
BIG MUELLER NEWS: The federal grand jury in DC that Mueller has been using was just extended for another six months, per my colleague @kpolantz. The original 18-month term was set to expire but the chief judge of the DC District Court has extended the grand jury's mandate.
— Marshall Cohen (@MarshallCohen) January 4, 2019
On Friday, Chief Judge Beryl Howell was asked to continue seating a grand jury for the Mueller investigation for at least six months. That request was granted, and the investigation will continue.
‘The grand jury, based in Washington, DC, was seated for an 18-month term that began in July 2017 and was set to expire in the coming days…Under federal rules, the court is able to extend a grand jury’s term for another six months if it is “in the public interest.”‘
To be entirely clear: We know that the Chief Judge Beryl Howell extended Mueller's grand jury, which was first seated in July 2017. And federal rules say that the grand jury term can be extended for six more months.
— Marshall Cohen (@MarshallCohen) January 4, 2019
Closed-door discussions have also continued on where the investigation stands and who is still under scrutiny. While she is not part of the discussions, she is aware of their planned moves at points when it is necessary to tell her, such as in why the grand jury should continue to be seated as it relates to “the public interest.”
‘Grand jury activity is secret, except following the 23-person group’s approval of criminal indictments. Chief Judge Beryl Howell of the DC District Court, who oversees the Mueller grand jury, granted the extension. She does not sit in on its sessions.’
“At least five prosecutors from Mueller’s office and two attorneys representing Andrew Miller, a former Roger Stone associate, spent almost 90 minutes in a sealed court proceeding before Chief Judge Beryl Howell of the DC District Court Wednesday morning.” https://t.co/jyXDF1Ol1v
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) July 18, 2018
Judge Howell has been involved in the Mueller probe from its inception, having ruled during the indictments of the 33 individuals so far brought down in the investigation.
‘Howell oversees matters related to the federal grand jury that has indicted several Russians and Americans in Mueller’s probe into interference in the 2016 presidential election. She previously ordered an attorney and a real estate agent to testify at the grand jury against Paul Manafort before he was indicted in October.’
For a recap of what we know so far from the investigation, see video below:
Featured image screenshot via YouTube
