Ty Cobb Doubles Down: Mueller Investigation Over by January

White House lawyer Ty Cobb has reiterated his view that Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into allegations of collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign is winding down — at least with regard to the White House itself.

In an e-mail exchange with Jonathan Swan of Axios, Cobb attempted to distinguish between Mueller’s pursuit of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn on the one hand, and the Special Counsel’s investigation of the Trump White House itself, on the other. Despite being wrong about the investigation being over by Thanksgiving, he predicted it would be over by early January:

Yes Jonathan, still believe shortly after the first of the year absent some unforeseen delay. People keep confusing that estimate with the Manafort/Flynn silos which will certainly continue to be active. My August estimate of when interviews would be completed was less than two weeks off, and that was despite the China trip which cost us 2 weeks, and half a dozen international crises.

Swan followed up by asking Cobb to clarify whether he believed that the “Manafort/Flynn” silos would not implicate people in the White House, or at least be used as a vehicle to keep the White House under investigation.

He replied:

I am saying the interviews will be completed by the end of next week which I have said often and which has been quoted by 50 news outlets over the last month or more (with the caveat and understanding illness, Acts of God or logistical factors could add 24 to 48 hours). The Manafort inquiry has nothing to do with the White House as the indictment itself and the related public acknowledgement of Manafort’s lawyer, make plain. And, we do not anticipate the long awaited Flynn indictment will delay the Special Counsel’s conclusion of the inquiry into the White House. Just no there there.

Critics, including Breitbart News, have suggested that Cobb is dangerously naïve — especially given the White House’s apparent lack of preparation for Flynn’s plea bargain last Friday.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News. He was named one of the “most influential” people in news media in 2016. He is the co-author of How Trump Won: The Inside Story of a Revolution, is available from Regnery. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.