Andrew Weissmann, one of the most prominent members of special counsel Robert Mueller’s team, is reportedly leaving the Russia investigation.
Mr. Weissmann will leave the Justice Department to teach law at New York University, NPR reported Thursday, citing two sources. He will also work on public service projects, including preventing wrongful convictions through more stringent forensic science standards.
Mr. Weissmann oversaw the prosecution of Paul Manafort, the former Trump campaign chairman, who has been sentenced to a total of seven-and-a-half years in prison for financial fraud and failing to disclose lobbying work he did for the Ukrainian government.
The NPR report emerged one day after Manafort was sentenced by a federal judge in D.C. to 43 months in prison. Manafort was also sentenced to 47 months last week in a separate case.
The departure could be a sign that Mr. Mueller’s team is wrapping up their investigation into allegations of Russian collusion with the Trump campaign to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Mr. Weissmann is the third member of the Mueller team to leave in recent weeks.
David Archey, the highest-ranking FBI agent working on the Mueller probe, departed on March 4 to head the FBI’s office in Richmond, Virginia.
Another special counsel prosecutor, Brandon Van Grack, also left this month to lead a new Justice Department effort to enforce compliance with the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
The law has become a Justice Department priority after it was invoked to press charges against Manafort, his business associate Rick Gates and former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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