Since Friday evening, Washington had stopped breathing in face of reports, special Robert Mueller is about to complain about investigations into possible cooperation between electoral team of Donald Trump and Kremlin To make public.

The bomb, which eventually burst, lit at first at a safe distance from White House. Paul Manafort was active between March 2016 and August 2016 for Trump's campaign team. Trump had dismissed him after it had become known that Manafort had helped former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych to smuggle millions of dollars to lobbyists in Washington. In summer, FBI investigators had searched his house in Virginia, meanwhile he is under house arrest. But indictment of him and his protégé Rick Gates because of illegal financial transactions does not refer to ir role in election campaign, but to work as political advisers in Ukraine, writ clarified. Manafort had refore not disclosed his advice for Yanukovych's Prorussian party for years. In total, re are twelve charges against Manafort and gates, including money laundering and tax evasion. Both disputed accusations.

Accordingly, Ty Cobb, president's lawyer, showed up in conversation with New York Times. There is no worry that Manafort will give information in return for a lower penalty, which could harm president in any way.

Shortly reafter, however, re was already next big news. It is clear from court documents of Monday that a furr adviser to electoral team of Donald Trump had already been made aware in April 2016 by a person with connections to Russian government that Moscow "dirt" about Hillary Clinton in form of "thousands of emails". The Trump adviser, George Papadopoulos, should have sought a meeting.

The FBI Lied

This revelation is much more than a "political nuisance," says Jeffrey Jacobovitz, a partner in law firm Arnall Golden Gregory in Washington, who once also represented members of Clinton administration. The publication on Monday was strongest indication so far of links between Trump and Kremlin campaign team. In meantime, Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to FBI for having lied about conversation and said that he had co-operation with authorities.

The investigation had overshadowed first months of new government. In past few weeks, however, it has been quiet. Large revelations had been left out, since in summer a meeting of Trump's son Donald Jr. had come to public with a Russian lawyer – and it was soon not heard. The president himself had any involvement with Kremlin denied, investigation showed little opposite.

In view of lack of revelations, government officials and leading Republicans had increased pressure on special Mueller to deliver results quickly or to stop investigations promptly. Just on weekend, Trump had once again dismissed ongoing investigations as a "witch hunt" and in nearly half a dozen tweets drew attention to Hillary Clinton's campaign team. Trump accused political motives to investigators.

But now, with accusations that have now become known, it is likely that president will find it more difficult to portray investigations – which also involve three committees of Congress – as Substanceless.

Donald Trump and his party are likely to be particularly annoyed that affair is coming back with full force this week. The coming days should be a sign of major political milestones. The president wants to appoint a successor for Fed chief Janet Yellen and Federal Reserve to put his own stamp on it. And Republicans are feverishly working on a draft for ir tax reform, which is finally going to bring about a first major legislative success. Trump also wants to demonstrate its foreign policy strength with an Asia trip.

But hardly anyone was interested in this on Monday. Legal experts see in recent accusations only first major public step of investigation, not ir conclusion. By adding pressure to people in wider environment, Mueller is probably hoping for cooperation in furr investigations, said Jeffrey Jacobovitz. "Mueller would not have 16 or 17 people investigated, n only to accuse a few marginal figures," says Jacobovitz.

Date Of Update: 31 October 2017, 12:02