The filing of charges by the grand jury in Washington was first reported earlier on Friday by CNN, which said the target could be taken into custody as soon as Monday. Special counsel Robert Mueller, a former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, is investigating whether Trump campaign officials colluded with those Russian efforts. "If the Special Counsel finds it necessary and appropriate, the Special Counsel is authorized to prosecute federal crimes arising from the investigation of these matters," Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said in a May 17 letter appointing Mueller. The special counsel's investigation also includes an effort to determine whether the president or any of his aides tried to obstruct justice. Mueller was appointed by the Justice Department to lead the investigation a week after Trump fired FBI Director James Comey, who was leading a federal investigation into possible collusion with Russia.

Source: bd News24 October 28, 2017 03:11 UTC