COURTS/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Special counsel Robert Mueller seemingly enjoyed free rein over the last year in his investigation into President Donald Trump’s campaign connections to the Kremlin, arresting suspects, winning plea deals and handing down indictments at will. Until last week. Much to the merriment of the president and his lawyers, Mueller’s prosecutors have met their first real resistance in the form of skeptical judges. While the courtroom setbacks have not derailed Mueller’s criminal cases, they have fueled questions about their strength. And given the intense scrutiny of Mueller’s work, even small hitches are welcome news for a White House looking for evidence that the Russia probe has gone too far.Two federal judges have now questioned Mueller’s authority to bring charges on matters unrelated to the presidential election, including alleged financial crimes by former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort. On Saturday [5-5-18], a third judge rebuffed Mueller’s request to delay proceedings involving three Russian companies and 13 Russian citizens he has indicted for meddling in the 2016 election.”
-Darren Samuelson and Josh Gerstein, “Mueller’s courtroom bruises cheer Trump team,” Politico, May 7, 2018 3:10 pm