If the Mueller investigation before this weeks’ events looked like a train slowly gaining speed to leave the terminal, it now appears to be a bullet train racing across the tracks and aimed at the President.

The Mueller charge was never about President Trump; it was to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 election and to determine if any Americans conspired to work with a foreign adversary to win the election for Donald Trump. Mueller was also charged with prosecuting any crimes he discovered in the process of that investigation.

This week the Mueller team won their first trial with the conviction of Trump Campaign chairman Paul Manafort, for criminal activities not related to the Russian campaign interference.

Manafort, nearly 70 years old, faces sentencing that could place him in confinement for the rest of his life.

Additionally, Manafort faces a trial in the District of Columbia later this year, and if convicted there, would undoubtedly spend the rest of his life in prison. Unless…unless, Manafort has knowledge, that he has so far not provided, that would inform the Special Prosecutor of crimes related to the Russia investigation.

Oddly, for many convicted felons facing a lifetime in prison, keeping secrets no longer seems as important as breathing fresh air. Mueller hopes Manafort is coming to that conclusion.

Certainly, Mueller would like to know who changed the Republican platform at the 2016 convention that Manafort chaired, to favor Russia at the expense of a free Ukraine. Mueller would probably also want to discover what Manafort’s relation was with a Russian oligarch, Oleg Deripaska, who had close tries with the Kremlin. Manafort offered to provide the Russian updates on the Trump campaign from his position within the campaign.

This week also saw President Trump’s longtime personal attorney and “fixer,” Michael Cohen, convicted of eight felonies, significantly including two campaign finance violations.

Cohen stated in his elocution before the judge that he conspired to hide two claims of sexual liaisons with Trump by making illegal campaign contributions to help the Trump campaign win the election. More critically for President Trump, Cohen said his actions were directed by then-candidate Trump. Prosecutors claim a Trump company later reimbursed Cohen by “sham” invoices.

Were Trump not president, he could be indicted for those same federal crimes, and he could be indicted when he is no longer president. An indictment is not a confession of guilt and the President would have opportunity to exonerate himself by trial.

It now appears that Mr. Cohen is ready to fully cooperate with the Mueller investigation as his attorney, Lanny Davis, has made very public Mr. Cohen’s additional knowledge about the Trump campaign, specifically information about conspiracy to cooperate with Russia to win the election for Trump.

One problem for Cohen is his history of lacking veracity, which is to say; he is a known liar in covering for the President. So, could his testimony be trusted? Could he be a compelling witness in a court of law should his statements be challenged by those he may accuse?

Certainly, should Cohen make charges against President Trump he would need additional evidence to support his claims, but, unfortunately, the President has not made a friend of truth either. Trump has become a sort of legend for his propensity to lie even if the truth is a better choice.

All of this leads to several conclusions: There really is a swamp of corruption around Trump; the Mueller investigation is no witch hunt; Mueller just gained job security, for were Trump to fire Mueller now when he, Trump, is under the scope of the investigation, that would be grounds for impeachment.

Trumps’ council, Rudy Giuliani, recently said, “Truth is not truth.” It seems Special Prosecutor Mueller has discovered otherwise.

 

Jim Crawford is a retired educator, political enthusiast and award-winning columnist living here
in the Tri-State.