DOJ Publishes Long-awaited Mueller Scope Memo, Revealing Probe Went Beyond Previously Known Mandate

The Justice Department on Wednesday published an unredacted version of then-Acting Attorney General Rod Rosenstein’s August 2017 “scope memo” outlining the authority of former Special Counsel Robert Mueller — and the document mentions for the first time that Mueller’s authority went significantly beyond what was known previously, Fox News informed.

Rosenstein oversaw Mueller’s investigation and played a central role in its still-unfolding drama. He was the subject of a two-page memo written by then-Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe that revealed how Rosenstein allegedly proposed wearing a wire in the White House “to collect additional evidence on the president’s true intentions,” and thought the scheme was plausible because “he was not searched when he entered the White House.” Rosenstein has denied those allegations and slammed the FBI.

Previously, it had been revealed that in May 2017, Rosenstein authorized Mueller to probe “i) any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump; ii) any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation; [and] iii) any other matters within the scope of [obstruction of justice laws].”

But, Rosenstein’s later August 2017 scope memo had remained largely redacted. The new version of the document makes clear that Rosenstein didn’t hesitate to explicitly authorize a deep-dive criminal investigation into the Trump team that extended well beyond Russian interference efforts.

The newly released version of the 2017 scope memo further states that Mueller could look into whether Flynn “committed a crime or crimes by engaging in conversations with Russian government officials during the period of the Trump transition.”

“Any criminal investigation grounded in Logan Act questions is an obvious political pretext to attack the Trump Administration,” GOP Reps. Jim Jordan and Mike Johnson wrote to FBI Director Christopher Wray on Monday, in a letter seeking in-person interviews and key documents. “FBI attorney Lisa Page admitted to Congress the Justice Department saw the Logan Act as an ‘untested’ and ‘very, very old’ statute.”