Trump lawyers set for key meeting with special counsel next week
President Donald Trump's private lawyers are slated to meet with special counsel Robert Mueller and members of his team as soon as next week for what the President's team considers an opportunity to gain a clearer understanding of the next steps in Mueller's probe, according to sources familiar with the matter.
While the lawyers have met with Mueller's team before and might again, the sources believe the upcoming meeting has greater significance because it comes after the completion of interviews of White House personnel requested by the special counsel and after all requested documents have been turned over. Mueller could still request more documents and additional interviews. No request to interview the President or the vice president has been made, sources tell CNN.
The Trump team's hopes for an investigation nearing its end contrast with a widely held view by other lawyers representing clients who have been interviewed. Those attorneys say that some of the questions asked by investigators suggest an inquiry with much more work left to be done.
------------------------------------
Other lawyers representing clients involved have a less optimistic timeline than the White House and think that based on the requests for documents and interviews, the special counsel investigation is likely to drag deep into next year and even beyond. The judge overseeing charges against Paul Manafort, former Trump campaign chairman, and Rick Gates, his deputy, scheduled a trial next spring, though the date could slip into later next year.