Russia, Recapped

The man, the myth, one side's great hope and another's witch hunter. What's on the mind of Robert Mueller, the man charged with running the highest profile investigation in the country?

Well, it's hard to know. “The office of the special counsel declined to comment” is one of the most common refrains in stories about the Russia probe.

But we did get a peek behind the curtain of the investigation last Friday.

Mueller’s office told prosecutors in the Southern District of New York that Michael Cohen, the president’s former lawyer and fixer, had “had “gone to significant lengths to assist the special counsel's investigation.” It said he had provided Mr. Mueller with information about his own conduct and that of others “on core topics under investigation.” The office asked for some leniency when Mr. Cohen is sentenced,” according to The New York Times.. Prosecutors still recommended that Mr. Cohen serve a “substantial” sentence.

See Michael Cohen’s sentencing memorandum from the Southern District of New York.

And Mueller also said on Friday that Paul Manafort, the president’s former campaign chairman, lied about several major issues after agreeing to cooperate with investigators, including about his “contact with administration officials,” per CNN.

From CNN:

The document also contains the stunning disclosure that Mueller can show, including with text messages, that Manafort was in contact with Trump administration officials early this year — even after he was indicted in late 2017.

The new and damaging information for the White House comes at a time when every move by Mueller appears to bring his investigation deeper into the White House and Trump’s inner circle, and shows it has expanded well beyond what may or may not have happened in the 2016 campaign.

So, what do we know so far about the allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 election? What are the potential outcomes of the probe? When will we know what Mueller knows?

We're also going to answer your questions about the Russia investigation during this show. So send them in at 1a@wamu.org, or leave us a voicemail at 855-236-1212. You can also use our app, 1A VoxPop.

GUESTS

Asha Rangappa, Senior lecturer, Jackson Institute for Global Affairs; Yale University, former associate dean, Yale Law School; legal and national security analyst, CNN; former FBI agent; @AshaRangappa_

Shane Harris, Intelligence and national security reporter, The Washington Post; Future of War fellow, New America; author, “At War: The Rise of the Military-Internet Complex” and “The Watchers: The Rise of America’s Surveillance State”‘; @shaneharris

Mark Mazzetti, Washington investigative correspondent, The New York Times; author, “The Way of the Knife: The CIA, a Secret Army, and a War at the Ends of the Earth”; @MarkMazettiNYT

For more, visit https://the1a.org.

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