As Washington, D.C. and the rest of the country were busily preparing for Thanksgiving, prosecutors working for Special Counsel Robert Mueller were busy filing an extensive, 3,000-word motion Tuesday in response to an appeal over a grand jury subpoena.
Politico reporter Darren Samuelsohn sent out this tweet Tuesday afternoon:
Another NEW sealed motion just filed — apparently from Mueller — in the mystery grand jury subpoena case we've been tracking here at @politico – This one is 3,074 words. https://t.co/Qw1efIr8Uw pic.twitter.com/1ZcwkVVTJ3
— Darren Samuelsohn (@dsamuelsohn) November 20, 2018
As you can see, this was a sealed motion, but some with legal expertise were kind enough to explain what is probably going on behind the scenes:
1. Case has something to do w/a grand jury subpoena, 2. Someone filed suit in a lower court to limit or prevent its enforcement, 3. That plaintiff lost in the district court. 4. Plaintiff filed an appeal. 4. Mueller is apparently the 'appellee' which means he won at the lower ct.
— Blank Slate (@blankslate2017) November 20, 2018
Who might be the subject of the hidden subpoena? Again, we don’t yet know, but for months now speculation has been that Mueller’s grand jury has subpoenaed President Trump for his testimony. If so, Trump’s attorneys are appealing and the case will likely wind up before the U.S. Supreme Court.
One attorney who already represents a senior White House staffer told Politico:
“This can get a step or two weirder than it already is.
“It could be anyone who’s been subpoenaed by the special counsel for anything.”
That’s certainly true, but why would a motion need to be kept secret if it didn’t involve someone essential to the case? Who else could be the subject of that subpoena? Here are a few names to keep in mind:
- Roger Stone
- Donald Trump Jr.
- Ivanka Trump
- Eric Trump
No matter what name (or names) are on the subpoena in question, the fact that the filings are being kept under seal suggests that either the subject may be able to provide evidence against the president but is reluctant to do so, or that Trump himself is the person fighting to avoid a grand jury summons.
But one thing we can say with great certainty on the eve of Thanksgiving: Robert Mueller is going full speed ahead, and he’s our best hope when it comes to getting rid of the criminal currently residing in the White House.