Three high-ranking members of special counsel Robert Mueller’s team have left the investigation this month, in what experts are reading as signs the probe into possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russian government is almost complete.
Zainab Ahmad, a top terrorism prosecutor who handled the case against former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, is the latest to decide to leave, the special counsel’s office confirmed Tuesday.
Last week it was Andrew Weissman, slated to depart soon to teach at New York University and work on public service projects, and David W. Archey, the FBI’s senior lead agent at the special counsel’s office, who has been named special agent in charge of the Richmond field office.
Solomon L. Wisenberg, a lawyer who served as independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr’s deputy during investigations into President Clinton, said the departures signal that no more big indictments are on the way.
“I don’t think anyone would be leaving if they really had a major indictable case against someone really big,” he said. “Why would someone leave a major investigation into the president if there is a major indictment looming? That would be the case of a career.”
Robert Ray, who succeeded Mr. Starr as independent counsel in the Whitewater investigation, said the departure of Mr. Archey is particularly telling.
“He was the chief investigative agent on Mueller’s team. That suggests to me that this is over,” Mr. Ray said.
Rumors that the Mueller probe is ending have percolated in the press for weeks.
Some outlets confidently reported a March 1 delivery date for Mr. Mueller’s report, but that didn’t happen.
Nick Akerman, a former assistant special prosecutor in the Watergate scandal, said the media is reading too much into the comings and goings of the Mueller team.
“It’s not a sign they are wrapping up,” he said. “In the Watergate prosecution, we had people leaving all the time and it didn’t mean anything.”
The Mueller probe shed two key government lawyers in October.
Brandon Van Grack and Kyle Freeny, who helped bring the case against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, both returned to the Justice Department, but Mr. Mueller’s work continued.
In fact, Mr. Mueller even lodged a new indictment, charging longtime Republican operative Roger Stone with lying to Congress and witness tampering among other crimes.
Mr. Stone heads to trial in November and is being prosecuted through a joint agreement between the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington and Mr. Mueller’s prosecutors. It is possible that Mr. Mueller will hand off the trial to local federal prosecutors.
Flynn and Rick Gates, a former business associate of Manafort, await sentencing, but experts say the Justice Department can handle those cases without a special counsel.
“They’ve got three terabytes of evidence on Stone they are going through, and Gates and Flynn haven’t been sentenced,” Mr. Akerman said. “There is still a bunch of stuff they are doing.”
Last week, Mr. Mueller said in court filings that Gates was cooperating in “several ongoing investigations.” But that doesn’t necessarily mean special counsel work, experts said.
Gates could be helping federal prosecutors in other jurisdictions. For example, Flynn is cooperating with prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia in a case against a former business partner.
“These prosecutions could survive the termination of Mr. Mueller’s office,” Mr. Ray said.
Yet another potential sign came Tuesday with the revelation that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein intends to stay on a bit longer at the Justice Department.
He oversaw the Mueller probe for more than a year, and his decision to hang on could be another sign the work is wrapping up.
“I suspect that a little more time for Rod means the end of this month,” Mr. Ray said. “I bet that means we are likely to see the report by the end of this month.”
Since Mr. Mueller was appointed in May 2017, he has brought more than 100 charges against 34 people and three companies. Those indictments have yielded seven guilty pleas. But he has yet to offer a smoking gun proving collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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