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A2 UP FRONT
Wednesday 5 september 2018
What deadline? Mueller probe can go up to Nov. 6 and beyond

WASHINGTON (AP) — 11 days before the elec-
Deadlines? What dead- tion, saying he had a duty
lines? to update lawmakers af-
For months, President ter having previously told
Donald Trump and his al- them that the FBI's work
lies have said the special was done.
counsel needs to wrap up He followed up two days
his Russia investigation with- before the election to say
in 60 days of the midterm that nothing in the new
elections, in November, cit- email batch had changed
ing a Justice Department the original conclusion. But
policy. many Democrats blamed
But in fact, special coun- Comey's late disclosure for
sel Robert Mueller faces no costing Clinton the election
time limit on his investiga- and said he shouldn't have
tion. He can continue the spoken out publicly so soon
probe — and issue new before the race — espe-
indictments — right up to cially when the FBI didn't
Nov. 6 and beyond. even know what was in the
A look at what's ahead, email batch.
and what's not, for the in- __
vestigation: REQUIREMENTS ON MUELLER
NO DEADLINE Mueller is only required by
Mueller faces no limit, legal law to deliver his conclu-
or otherwise, for finishing sions to Deputy Attorney
or releasing the findings of In this June 21, 2017 file photo, former FBI Director Robert Mueller, the special counsel probing General Rod Rosenstein,
Russian interference in the 2016 election, departs Capitol Hill following a closed door meeting in
his probe. He can continue Washington. who has been in charge of
investigating, issuing sub- Associated Press the probe since Attorney
poenas and interviewing General Jeff Sessions re-
witnesses. Mueller between now and WHAT ABOUT THE 60-DAY dependent inspector gen- cused himself.
__ the Nov. 6 voting risks being 'GUIDANCE'? eral stated in a June report Rosenstein could release
POLITICS seen as an effort to affect There is no policy that sets on the Hillary Clinton email the contents or withhold
The only thing that's the outcome. That's why a 60-day pause in which investigation that former of- them.
changed is that Labor the Justice Department has the Justice Department is ficials they interviewed did __
Day kicked off high elec- issued guidelines about the barred from investigating. cite a so-called 60-day rule WHAT'S NEXT
tion season in the battle for sensitivity of investigations Nor is there a cutoff date in which prosecutors avoid It's certainly possible that
control of the House and in the run-up to elections. for an investigation to wrap public disclosures of investi- more indictments or guilty
Senate. So any action by __ up. gative steps against a can- pleas could be coming giv-
But Justice Department didate. en that Mueller has not indi-
guidance issued over the But, the report said, "the cated that his work is near
past decade has been 60-Day Rule is not written completion. The Mueller
interpreted to mean that or described in any depart- investigation has produced
investigators, if possible, ment policy or regulation." charges so far against 32
should avoid taking spe- "I look at it sort of differ- people, including four for-
cific investigative actions ently than 60 days," former mer Trump campaign or
— such as indicting candi- Deputy Attorney General White House aides, and
dates or raiding their office Sally Yates is quoted in the three Russian companies.
— in the run-up to an elec- report as having said. "To A grand jury in Washington
tion. me if it were 90 days off, is continuing to hear testi-
"Law enforcement officers and you think it has a signifi- mony tied to Trump adviser
and prosecutors may nev- cant chance of impacting Roger Stone.
er select the timing of in- an election, unless there's Mueller's office has inter-
vestigative steps or criminal a reason you need to take viewed dozens of cur-
charges for the purpose of that action, now you don't rent and former aides as it
affecting any election, or do it." scrutinizes whether Trump
for the purpose of giving an __ sought to obstruct justice, a
advantage or disadvan- IF THERE WAS SUCH A RULE, determination that has not
tage to any candidate or COMEY BROKE IT been made.
political party," one such These same issues surfaced Meanwhile, federal pros-
memo from 2012 states. within the FBI and Justice ecutors in New York have
But the policy does not im- Department when agents, been examining a scheme
pose a specific cut-off date shortly before the 2016 to make hush-money pay-
for investigations before an presidential election, dis- ments to two women who
election. It does not require covered a new batch of say they had sex with Trump,
prosecutors — as some Hillary Clinton emails that a separate investigation
Trump supporters, including they considered relevant that has ensnared former
lawyer Rudy Giuliani, have to their investigation into Trump lawyer Michael Co-
suggested — to put an in- her use of a private email hen, who pleaded guilty
vestigation on hold in the server. last month to campaign fi-
period before voters head Then-FBI Director James nance violations and impli-
to the polls. Comey decided to alert cated the president. Trump
The Justice Department's in- Congress to the emails just has denied wrongdoing.q