New York Times: Summary of US Russia Investigation

US special counsel Robert Mueller and a team of investigators have been at work for a year examining Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election. A US Senate committee, also investigating, has released multiple documents. The New York Times presents a timeline summarizing themes of the investigation along with key dates, participants and targets. The investigation focuses on interference including the spread of false news on social media, hacking emails and entry into state voting systems; possible coordination with the Trump associates; possible obstruction of the investigation by Trump and other officials; and foreign influence with violation of lobbying and anti-corruption laws. The timeline demonstrates the investigation’s complexity and far reach: Russia’s annexation of Crimea in March 2014 and US imposition of sanctions, concerns raised in London, plans to improve US-Russian relations; Russian hacking and release of documents by WikiLeaks, and requests for loans from lenders in Germany, UAE and Qatar. So far, 19 people and three companies have been indicted; five have pled guilty. – YaleGlobal