Mueller Investigation Is 'Close to Being Completed'

After an investigation that has lasted more than 20 months, it's almost Mueller Time. Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker said Monday that special counsel Robert Mueller is nearly ready to wrap up his investigation of alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election, the New York Times reports. "The investigation is, I think, close to being completed, and I hope that we can get the report from Director Mueller as soon as possible," he said. Whitaker, who was speaking during a press conference after Chinese tech giant Huawei was hit with criminal charges, said he had been fully briefed on the report and would not comment further on an "open and ongoing investigation." A spokeswoman quickly ended the press conference after Whitaker's remarks.

Whitaker's brief remarks were "the most extensive comments on the subject by any senior law enforcement official in recent months," the Washington Post reports. Cases related to the investigation—including that of Roger Stone, who was indicted last week—will be in the courts for months to come, though Mueller is expected to eventually hand over cases to US attorneys. NBC reports that when the investigation is finished, Mueller will hand his final report to Whitaker, unless attorney general nominee William P. Barr is confirmed first. Amid fears that the Justice Department will decide not to make Mueller's findings public, GOP Sen. Charles Grassley and Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal introduced a bill Monday that would require the special counsel to report findings directly to Congress. (Barr has promised not to interfere with the investigation.)