Special Counsel Robert Mueller Assembles Grand Jury In Trump-Russia Probe: WSJ

WASHINGTON, DC — In the midst of legislative failure, high-profile staff shakeups at the White House and increasing criticism from members of his own party, President Trump now has to contend with an impaneled grand jury in the Russia investigation, according to a report Thursday from The Wall Street Journal. This latest development suggests the inquiry led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, which Trump has called a "witch hunt," is "growing in intensity and entering a new phase," write reporters Del Quentin Wilber and Byron Tau.

Citing "people familiar with the matter," the report finds that the grand jury was assembled in recent weeks as a part of Mueller's assignment to investigate Russian involvement in the 2016 presidential election and potential collusion with the Trump campaign. This part of the investigatory process is usually done in secret, and Mueller's spokesman would not comment on the story. (For more information on this and other political stories, subscribe to the White House Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

Previous reports found that a separate grand jury had already been assembled for the criminal investigation of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. According to former FBI Director James Comey, Trump had sought to persuade the bureau to drop its investigation of Flynn; Trump's subsequent termination of Comey could be the foundation of an obstruction of justice charge against the president, according to multiple reports.

“This is yet a further sign that there is a long-term, large-scale series of prosecutions being contemplated and being pursued by the special counsel,” law professor Stephen Vladeck of the University of Texas told the Journal.

Read the full report at The Wall Street Journal>>

Rep. Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California who sits on the House Intelligence Committee, had this to say about the report:

In a statement, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said simply repeated the Journal's quotation from the president's lawyer Ty Cobb saying he was not aware of a grand jury in the case. She also said that Comey told the president he was not personally under investigation three times, adding, "We have no reason to believe that has changed."

Watch: Senators Band Together To Protect Robert Mueller's Job

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