A timeline of Mueller’s investigation on Trump’s associates

On May 17, 2017, Deputy General Rod Rosenstein appointed Robert Mueller as special counsel to oversee the investigation between Russian officials and Donald Trump’s campaign. The main concern being both parties’ involvement in possible obstruction of justice during the 2016 elections. The controversy expanded as Michael Cohen, Trump’s personal attorney and the vice-president of The Trump Organization, was also convicted for wrongdoings.

Significant findings have since been released during the past four years of the investigation mainly concerning President Donald Trump’s now-retired lawyer Michael Cohen in addition to other close associates to the president. The following presents a timeline of the highlights concerning Mueller’s investigation on Cohen and Trump’s associates:

Cohen:

April 9, 2018: Michael Cohen’s home is raided by FBI agents.

Aug. 21, 2018: Cohen pleads guilty in a Manhattan courtroom to eight counts related to tax fraud and campaign finance violations. Over the next few months, Cohen reportedly spent more than 70 hours in interviews with the special counsel.

Dec. 7, 2018: Prosecutors from New York’s Southern District recommend a “substantial term of imprisonment” for Michael Cohen for campaign finance and tax violations, as well as lying to Congress.

Dec. 12, 2018: Michael Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison. In his guilty plea, Cohen claimed Donald Trump directed him in 2016 to pay hush money to two women who alleged affairs. One of the women included Stormy Daniels, a porn actress who was paid $130,000.

Trump’s associates:

Oct. 5, 2017: Trump’s former campaign adviser, George Papadopoulos, pleads guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with foreign nationals tied to the Russian government.

Dec. 1, 2017: Trump’s former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, pleads guilty to lying to investigators about his contacts with Russians.

March 8, 2019: President Trump’s close ally and former campaign chairman Paul Manafort was sentenced in a Virginia court to 4 years in prison for financial crimes including bank fraud, tax fraud and hiding a foreign bank account.

The Mueller investigation on Russian interference came to a close on March 22, 2019. After receiving Mueller’s report, Attorney General Bill Barr told Congress the “the investigation did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.” Although many of Trump’s associates were charged for obstructing justice, Trump was not charged with any crimes. Barr wrote that while Mueller’s report “does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.”