WSJ: Mueller impanels grand jury in Russia investigation

(RNN) – The special counsel investigating Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election has impaneled a grand jury, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The story is an exclusive report in the Journal, which cites anonymous sources. It has not been confirmed by other media outlets. Robert Mueller, who has been quiet since his appointment, has not made a comment on the grand jury.

Mueller is looking into the Russian government's efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election, as well as whether then-candidate Donald Trump's campaign colluded with the Kremlin. According to CNN, he is also investigating Trump's finances, something the president called a "red line" in a New York Times interview in July.

The president's lawyer, Ty Cobb, said "the White House is committed to fully cooperating with Mr. Mueller."

The unconfirmed report comes just days after the president reluctantly signed into law new sanctions on Russia. In a statement, Trump said the sanctions were flawed because of provisions that limited the executive branch's power. Congress passed the sanctions with a veto-proof majority.

Trump took to Twitter on Thursday to blame Congress for heightening tension between the U.S. and Russia.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedewv criticized the president and the sanctions on Wednesday, saying Trump was "outwitted" by the Washington establishment.

The special counsel was appointed in May 2017 after both Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the investigation and the president fired former FBI Director James Comey.

Comey's firing was a catalyst for Mueller's appointment, as many in D.C. accused Trump of interfering in the FBI's investigation into Russian interference.

The investigation is a multi-pronged beast hanging over Washington and the Trump administration.

The U.S. intelligence community released a report in January that accused the Russian government of hacking into the Democratic National Committee and members of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's campaign. The Russian government denied the allegations.

The president's son, Donald Trump Jr., was also embroiled in the controversy when it came to light that he met with a lawyer connected to the Russian government during the 2016 campaign who promised comprising information on his father's opponent, Clinton.

Trump Jr. initially said the meeting was to discuss adoption between Russia and America. He later tweeted that he knew that the meeting was intended to obtain useful information for the president's campaign and released four pages of emails involving the encounter.

In an investigation separate from Mueller, the FBI is looking into ties between Trump's associates and the Kremlin, including Paul Manafort, Carter Page and Roger Stone. After Trump's National Security Adviser, Michael Flynn, was fired, he began cooperating with the FBI investigation.

Flynn was fired by Trump after it came to light he had contact with Russia's ambassador Sergey Kislyak, and misled Vice President Mike Pence about the contact.

Senate and House committees also launched their own investigations.

Who is Robert Mueller?

Mueller was the director of the FBI from 2001 to 2013.

He was nominated as FBI director by President George W. Bush in 2001 and took office just days before the Sept. 11 terror attacks. He preceded the recently ousted FBI director James Comey, and served two years beyond his term in order to help President Barack Obama's national security team in a period of transition.

Upon his appointment, Mueller was widely praised by both Republicans and Democrats as the right man for the job.

Mueller graduated from Princeton in 1966 and later got a master's degree at New York University. 

He then served for three years as an officer in the Marines before earning his law degree at the University of Virginia.

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