On Friday (March 22) special counsel Robert Mueller handed over his report on his nearly two-year investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential elections to attorney general William Barr.
A Justice Department official has said that Mueller did not recommend any new charges be filed (paywall) beyond those already directed toward 34 individuals (paywall). Barr has said that he could share with lawmakers his take on the probe’s most important as soon as this weekend, though today has been ruled out. For the time being, all most of us can do is wait for the news and hope that the full report will be made public (paywall).
Although Mueller’s probe has been getting a lot of the spotlight recently, his is just one of many ongoing investigations into the US president or his affiliates.
As Quartz has reported, even if the Mueller report ends up being inconclusive, the investigation could fuel deeper investigations by the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives. House-led investigations are looking at various aspects of the Trump administration, including the process used to dole out security clearances, Trump’s taxes, and a separate probe into Russian interference spearheaded by the House Intelligence Committee.
The House Judiciary Committee, which is ultimately responsible for passing any articles of impeachment against a president, earlier this month launched a separate investigation into “alleged obstruction of justice, public corruption, and other abuses of power by President Trump, his associates, and members of his Administration.” All in all, the committee plans to investigate some 81 individuals or parties.
Outside of Congress, the Department of Justice is launching several investigations into Trump, largely being carried out by federal prosecutors from the Southern District of New York. They’re looking for any kind of fraud that could have affected Trump’s rise to power from a businessman to politician to president, Politico reports, including hush money paid to women thought to have had affairs with Trump and a look at the finances of his inaugural committee.
Additionally, as Vox reports, there are the New York state lawsuits, which include investigations into Trump’s business finances, his state taxes, and a look into the Donald J. Trump Foundation, which the family dissolved in December 2018 after allegations that Trump was abusing the charity’s tax-exempt status.
There is also a private lawsuit against Trump from former The Apprentice contestant Summer Zervos, who is suing Trump for defamation after he called her a liar when she accused him of sexually assaulting her. Maryland and DC attorneys general have also sued Trump for his ownership of Trump Hotels—which they say are frequented enough by foreign officials that Trump should be considered to be receiving payments from them in violation of the US Constitution. Finally, Michael Cohen, Trump’s former personal attorney, is also suing the Trump Organization for discontinuing his pay for last year. He claims the company owes him an additional $1.9 million.
All this is to say, even if Mueller’s investigation is inconclusive, there are still lots of other entities looking into Trump’s potential wrongdoings.