“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,” Whitaker said. His impromptu remark, at the end of a news conference about an unrelated case, was a highly unusual confirmation of the state of the special counsel’s investigation. Justice Department policy ordinarily prohibits public comment on open criminal inquiries, and Mueller has refused to publicly discuss the investigation since he was appointed in May 2017 to oversee it. Whitaker, who is considered intensely loyal to President Donald Trump, said that he had been “fully briefed on the investigation” and that he looked forward to Mueller delivering a report. Thank you so much.”It was unclear whether Whitaker had discussed his comments with Mueller beforehand, or if he was speaking off the cuff.

Source: bd News24 January 29, 2019 04:18 UTC