WASHINGTON: Official Washington was abuzz this weekend over reports that a grand jury has charged at least one person stemming from the US probe of Russia鈥檚 attempts to tilt the 2016 presidential elections in Donald Trump鈥檚 favor.
There was no indication, in reporting by CNN that other media later confirmed, of who might be charged or what crimes might be alleged in the ongoing inquiry led by former FBI chief Robert Mueller.
But Trump, in a rapid burst of tweets Sunday, again denounced the investigation as a 鈥渨itch hunt鈥� and repeated his denials of any collusion with Russia.
Mueller鈥檚 team has remained mum about reports that a first arrest could be made as early as Monday. He is empowered to pursue not only Russian interference but any other crimes his large team of prosecutors should uncover.
But Chris Christie, a Republican governor close to Trump, said Sunday on ABC that 鈥渢he important thing about today for the American people to know is the president is not under investigation. And no one has told him that he is.鈥�
Typically, such an inquiry would first target lower-level people while building a case against those higher up.
Representative Adam Schiff of California, the ranking Democrat on the House intelligence committee, demurred Sunday when asked whether Trump was under investigation. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 answer that one way or the other,鈥� he told ABC.
But he mentioned two possible targets on whom much speculation has focused: former national security adviser Michael Flynn and former Trump campaign director Paul Manafort, both of them once involved in undeclared lobbying for foreign interests.
It was not clear that Christie would know whether Trump is in fact being investigated. He may have been referring to a remark in May by former FBI chief James Comey, who told a Senate panel in May that Trump was not a target of the inquiry.
As the Mueller investigation nears a dramatic new phase, Republican officials and right-leaning media have stepped up their attacks on Democrats, above all on Trump鈥檚 rival in last year鈥檚 election, Hillary Clinton 鈥� attacks that Democrats dismiss as blatant attempts to divert attention.
Trump, in his tweets Sunday, again complained of Clinton鈥檚 handling of emails while secretary of state, of Democratic Party funding of what he said was a 鈥渇ake鈥� dossier on Trump鈥檚 background, and of a US sale during the Obama administration of uranium rights to Russia.
鈥淭here is so much GUILT by Democrats/Clinton, and now the facts are pouring out. DO SOMETHING!鈥� Trump tweeted.
In the uranium case, Russian energy company Rosatom sought in 2010 to buy a share in Toronto-based UraniumOne. A panel of nine US government agencies, including the State Department, approved the sale, though Clinton says she was 鈥渘ot personally involved.鈥�
As Mueller鈥檚 inquiry advances, there have been calls from some Republicans 鈥� and from the conservative editorial board of the Wall Street Journal 鈥� for him to resign. Christie cautioned on Sunday that the former FBI chief should be 鈥渧ery, very careful.鈥�
Democrats meantime have warned that if Trump were to fire Mueller 鈥� or issue preemptive pardons to anyone caught in his net 鈥� it would be crossing a line.