Matt Whitaker's History Of Time-Travel, Toilets & Bigfoot

[Valerie]

In a CNN op-ed, Whitaker wrote that, based on reports that Mueller’s team was looking into Trump Organization finances, “Mueller has come up to a red line in the Russia 2016 election-meddling investigation that he is dangerously close to crossing.”

 

[Valerie]

President Donald Trump told the New York Times on Wednesday that he felt it would cross a line if special counsel Robert Mueller began to examine his business dealings as part of the probe into possible collusion between his campaign team and Russia.

"I think that's a violation," Trump said. "Look, this is about Russia."

In appointing Mueller, however, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein gave him broad authority not only to investigate "any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated" with Trump's campaign, but also to examine "any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation."

Rosenstein also gave Mueller the power to investigate "any other matters within the scope of 28 C.F.R. § 600.4(a)" — including perjury, obstruction of justice, destruction of evidence, and intimidation of witnesses.


Mueller has broader authority in his Russia investigation than Trump may realize


Trump has reportedly grown irritated with the follow-the-money approach Mueller has taken to the investigation. But it is easy to imagine why Trump's loans, debts, and business empire — which has benefited from money flowing out of Russia — would warrant Mueller's scrutiny as he tries to trace the origins of Russia's interest in the Trump campaign and determine whether Moscow holds any leverage over Trump or his associates.