October 30, 2017--Mueller's First Moves

It is being widely reported that special counsel Robert Mueller is about to announce his first indictments. Perhaps as early as Monday.

Everyone is expecting that those charged will include Paul Manafort and Michael Flynn. I am expecting them to be at the top of the list.

But look for two other indictments, much higher profile and more incendiary--Donald Trump Jr. and son-in-law Jared Kushner.

A tip off about the latter is the fact that Kushner for a couple of months has been largely invisible. I have been speculating about his absence (as well as his wife Ivanka's). My first take was that they are separating themselves from Donald Trump Senior in large part not to be dragged down with him. Perhaps, based on this, there are other reasons Jared is nowhere to be found. Maybe because he is about to be arrested, fingerprinted, and soon to be tried minimally for perjury. 

What next--

Manafort and Flynn to save their skins will decide to cooperate with prosecutors. If they do, this will further jeapodize all Trumps, likely including the president.

And then?

Trump and his Fox News friends will accelerate their campaign to undermine the objectivity of the Mueller investigation. Mainly by trying to tie collusion with the Russians to Hillary Clinton. That won't work.

And so--

Look for Trump to pardon all involved. There is no way he will stand by and sacrifice his children. This is not the Old Testament.

And, he will attempt to fire Mueller.

Will it work?

Trump will not be impeached much less tossed out of office by the Republican controlled-Senate or the 25th Amendment.

And, though I do not understand all the legal moving parts, there is some credible opinion that all of these folks can be pursued by prosecutors in New York where any number of potential crimes may have been committed. If so, the presidential power to pardon would not work for New York based crimes.

Stay tuned. This week will be historically interesting.

Robert Mueller