The First Russia Probe Arrests Are Coming Monday. Here’s What You Need To Know

REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

The first arrests in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election could come as soon as Monday.

CNN reported late Friday that a federal grand jury in Washington has approved the first indictments of the investigation. Those charges will remain under seal over the weekend. Arrests pursuant to those indictments are expected Monday. The report is sourced to unnamed individuals who have been briefed on the matter.

An indictment is a charging document which permits a prosecutor to arrest an individual on particular charges. Indictments are first approved by a grand jury, a panel of citizen jurors usually numbering near two dozen. As a general matter, a prosecutor will present his case to the grand jury, which then decides if he has marshaled enough evidence for criminal charges.

Under normal circumstances, indictments are sought at the conclusion of an investigation. Friday’s indictments could signal that Mueller has concluded the investigatory phase of his probe, and that federal prosecutors are moving the case into a formal legal process. That, potentially, is good news for the Trump White House, as it would signal that President Donald Trump and his closest advisors will not be the subject of criminal charges or further inquiry.

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