{UAH} MUELLER STARTS TO TARGET DEMOCRATS

MUELLER REFERS TONY PODESTA TO PROSECUTORS

Brother of Hillary Clinton's campaign manager targeted

Published: 1 hour ago

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Then-FBI Director Robert Mueller in the White House in 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Special counsel Robert Mueller, assigned to look into Democrat claims of Trump-campaign collusion with Russia, has referred three more individuals to federal prosecutors for review, including former Hillary Clinton campaign manager John Podesta’s brother, Tony Podesta.

CNN reported Mueller forwarded the cases to local federal prosecutors in New York, as he did in the case against President Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen.

Since the spring, CNN said, Mueller has referred matters to U.S. attorneys in the Southern District of New York involving longtime Democratic lobbyist Tony Podesta and his work for his former firm, the Podesta Group, and former Rep. Vin Weber, R-Minn., and his work for Mercury Public Affairs.

CNN cited unnamed sources familiar with the matter.

Also referred was former Obama White House counsel Greg Craig, a former partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.

No charges have been filed, and there is no indication the inquiry will result in criminal charges, the report said.

“It’s not clear whether they are considered one case or separate matters,” CNN said its sources reported, “though all involve inquiries into whether the men improperly performed work on behalf of groups associated with Ukraine without registering with the Justice Department as foreign agents.

“It’s also not clear exactly why Mueller referred the matters to federal prosecutors in New York. Both Mercury and Skadden have offices in Manhattan, though Weber and Craig are based in Washington, D.C., and performed the work in question while based in offices there,” CNN reported. “Podesta and his former firm are also based in Washington. SDNY, however, could claim jurisdiction for reasons such as the location of banking transactions associated with the activity under examination.”

Officials in the special counsel’s office, the U.S. attorney’s office, and representatives for Podesta and the Podesta group all declined comment, CNN reported.

The London Daily Mail reported the cases were discovered during Mueller’s investigation of Paul Manafort, who briefly served as Trump’s campaign manager.

He’s now on trial on charges that stem from his activities a decade before he worked for the campaign. He’s accused of making money while working for Ukrainian interests and not reporting it as income.

Reportedly, the three lobbyists were recruited by Manafort to work for then-Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, a close Moscow ally.

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