- Special counsel Robert Mueller may continue with his investigation into President Donald Trump's alleged ties to Russia far longer than the White House has planned.
- In conversations with friends and advisors, the president has said that the investigation would wrap up early in 2018, CNN reported in December.
- But experts and precedent suggest the probe could last well into 2018, if not longer.
Special counsel Robert Mueller may continue with his investigation into President Donald Trump's alleged ties to Russia far longer than the White House has planned.
In conversations with friends and advisors, the president has said that the investigation would wrap up early in 2018, CNN reported in December. One of the president's lawyers, Ty Cobb, told The Washington Post in mid-November that the probe would likely finish shortly after the new year.
But experts and precedent suggest the investigation could last well into 2018, if not longer, meaning that one of the biggest clouds over Trump's nascent presidency and the Republican majority in Congress could continue to cast a pall as midterm elections approach.
Typical special counsel investigations take several years, although an analysis conducted by the news website FiveThirtyEight found that Mueller's is proceeding at a rapid clip compared with precedent.
Four people associated with the president, including former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Flynn, have already been charged with crimes connected to the probe. Two of those, Flynn and Trump campaign foreign policy advisor George Papadopoulos, have pleaded guilty and are cooperating with investigators.
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