Keller @ Large: Mueller Investigation Is About The Law, Greed And Power
BOSTON (CBS) - Apparently, the first arrest in connection with special prosecutor Robert Mueller's probe of the Trump/Russia connection could come as soon as Monday.
Mueller has by all accounts focused on three questions:
- Did anyone in the Trump universe collude with the Russians and their surrogates to illegally influence the 2016 election?
- Did they subsequently try to cover it up and obstruct justice?
- And has anyone in this universe engaged in other crimes, such as tax fraud and money-laundering?
It was inevitable that all this would get caught up in partisan politics.
But it's worth remembering as Mueller starts to present his findings what this is really all about.
It's about the law, and the principle that no man or woman is above the law. If the president or others broke the law, conspired with our enemies before the election or obstructed justice afterwards, they need to be held accountable for it.
It's about greed, and drawing a clear line over how much is too much. If the likes of Paul Manafort took millions from or laundered millions on behalf of sleazy Russian oligarchs, they should pay a heavy price for doing so.
And it's about power. Unless we are prepared to give up the notion that the broader interests of the public take precedence over narrow financial and political interests, and that those entrusted with power are not allowed to abuse it, we have to lay down the law, no matter whose partisan ox is getting gored.
The burden of proof is on the prosecutors.
All parties are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
But if they are guilty, look out.
Because the crimes we may be talking about here are exploitative, craven, and worthy of no mercy.