Mueller's report on Trump collusion and obstruction coming after midterms

Special Counsel Robert Mueller is poised to present the key findings from the Russian investigation after November’s midterm elections, according to a new report.

Citing two unnamed U.S. officials, Bloomberg News reported Wednesday morning that Mueller “is close to rendering judgment on two of the most explosive aspects of his inquiry: whether there were clear incidents of collusion between Russia and Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign, and whether the president took any actions that constitute obstruction of justice.”

The officials did not specify what those findings might look like.

As Bloomberg noted, the revelation doesn’t necessarily mean that Mueller’s report on the findings will be made available to the public.

According to the guidelines of the probe, Mueller can only present the findings to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who is charged with overseeing the Russia investigation since Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself.

Once Rosenstein has the report, DOJ guidelines give him some discretion in making the determination about what findings are presented to Congress and what is released publicly.

Rosenstein has reportedly made it clear to Mueller that he wants the probe to end quickly, potentially because Trump has repeatedly hinted at wanting to fire Rosenstein and shut down the investigation.

News that Mueller is prepared to deliver his findings comes at a crucial time, just three weeks ahead of midterm elections.

The results of the election could end up determining what ultimately comes of the investigation, with Democrats hoping to regain control of the House, and possibly the Senate, which would put them in a position to potentially pursue impeachment charges if warranted.

Even if the findings do not warrant impeachment, Democrats could still decide to release the results of the report for public viewing, whereas Republicans would likely keep it under wraps as part of their ongoing effort to shield Trump.

Importantly, if Democrats retake the House majority, they could also move to reopen the House Intelligence Committee’s investigation, which was prematurely shut down by Trump’s allies in Congress.

Ultimately, the party that controls Congress will end up with a great deal of control over the future of the Mueller probe and its findings — so while Trump’s name won’t be on the ballot in November, the future of his presidency may very well be.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.