2016 ELECTION/DEMS/ELECTION/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Republican President Donald Trump broadened his condemnation of the Russia probe with a tweet Tuesday [5-29-18] accusing it of being a partisan exercise that could unfairly tip the midterm elections in favor of Democratic congressional candidates. The ‘angry Democrats’ who are ‘working on the rigged Russia Witch Hunt, will be MEDDLING with the mid-term elections,’ the president said in his tweet. Inside the White House, officials believe that the probe of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, led by special counsel Robert Mueller, a Republican, could have an outsize impact on the election, depending on how Mr. Mueller proceeds. If Mr. Mueller has a damaging report prepared but waits until the eve of the election to file it, he could unduly sway voters, a White House official said. If he has an exculpatory report but waits until after the election to release it, he would deprive some voters of critical information before they cast ballots, the official said. Mr. Mueller, whose office declined to comment Tuesday, is investigating whether there was collusion between Moscow and the Trump campaign during the 2016 election, and whether Mr. Trump obstructed justice when he fired Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey last year. The Mueller probe has returned indictments and guilty pleas for several top Trump campaign advisers on charges including money laundering and lying to law enforcement.”
-Peter Nicholas, “Trump Claims Russia Probe Aims to Help Democrats in Midterms,” The Wall Street Journal, May 29, 2018 5:45 pm