--- title: Robert Mueller Investigation: Why He's Moving Quickly description: The former FBI director is moving on an aggressive timeline as he looks into Russian attempts to influence the 2016 election. canonical: https://time.com/4953215/robert-mueller-investigation-what-we-know/ author: Tessa Berenson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-09-22T18:12:28.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-08T09:53:12.335Z article:section: Politics og:title: Robert Mueller's Russia Investigation Is Moving Really Fast. Here's Why og:description: A lesson learned from past investigations og:url: https://time.com/4953215/robert-mueller-investigation-what-we-know/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltdbf3aaee86e5c670/6988dc414ee262713d30ed77/robert-mueller-james-comey-letter.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5385 og:image:height: 3029 og:image:alt: Robert Mueller og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Robert Mueller's Russia Investigation Is Moving Really Fast. Here's Why twitter:description: A lesson learned from past investigations twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltdbf3aaee86e5c670/6988dc414ee262713d30ed77/robert-mueller-james-comey-letter.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Robert Mueller's Russia Investigation Is Moving Really Fast. Here's Why > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=d789d732-a316-41b1-88f1-bb603bbdc34b&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Should You Fear Russia? [Watch (HLS stream): Should You Fear Russia?](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/xZky4liD.m3u8) (3:01)  _Published 2017-09-14. Russia has returned as a perceived threat for many Americans. TIME takes a look at the reasons why Russia fears are and aren't justified._  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Sep 22, 2017 6:12 PM UTC  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Sep 22, 2017 6:12 PM UTC It’s hard to know what special counsel [Robert Mueller](http://time.com/4828081/robert-mueller-special-counsel/)‘s [investigation](http://time.com/4950994/robert-mueller-investigation-documents-white-house/) is doing, but it’s clear that it’s going quickly. Experts on independent investigations, including some who have worked with them in the past, say that the former FBI director is moving on an aggressive timeline as he looks into Russian attempts to influence the 2016 election. They say that could help keep it from getting bogged down or off track, like some past investigations. “We don’t want it to be spread out,” says Solomon Wisenberg, who was second-in-command in the Whitewater/Lewinsky investigation into President Bill Clinton. “It’s not good for the country if it’s spread out for four or five years. I think to me that’s a good sign, it’s a sign that \[Mueller is\] being sensitive to that problem.” That [independent counsel investigation of Clinton](http://time.com/4782512/donald-trump-impeachment-bill-clinton-senators/), for example, lasted for four years, and impeachment proceedings extended beyond that. It initially began as a look into Clinton’s financial dealings with the Whitewater property company, but ended up exposing sordid details of an affair between the president and a White House intern. Mueller’s apparent speed in tackling a massive investigation is likely related both to his own personality and the grave importance of what he’s trying to figure out, which includes whether members of Trump’s campaign colluded with Russia. “His reputation is as someone who doesn’t mess around,” says Katy Harriger, a professor at Wake Forest College and author of a book on federal special prosecutors. “But I think if you look at the overarching questions of this investigation, they’re pretty serious in terms of the alleged wrongdoing, and I think someone of Mueller’s stature and commitment to public service that he’s demonstrated would want to know the truth about this fairly quickly.” Another, more concrete reason Mueller may be working quickly: the simultaneous investigations in Congress. As Mueller’s team proceeds with their work nested within (but slightly separate from) the Justice Department, committees in both the House and the Senate are also looking into the Russian matter. As Congress interviews some of the same witnesses that the special counsel’s office needs to speak with, it could impede Mueller’s ability to get to the truth. “The more people testify, the more evidence gets trampled on,” explains Harriger. “Stories get rehearsed, people lawyer up, all those kinds of things. The more investigations are going on, the more possibility there is that testimony gets tainted in some way by the cross investigation.” There’s also the possibility that Congress offers immunity to someone, regardless of that person’s importance in the special counsel investigation. During the Iran-contra scandal under President Ronald Reagan, for example, Congress granted immunity to three key witnesses in exchange for their testimony. But as [the New York _Times_ reported in 1988](http://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/12/opinion/the-price-of-iran-contra-immunity.html?mcubz=0), “that immunity now jeopardize\[d\] criminal prosecutions of the three,” and the new situation “inflict\[ed\] a near-crippling burden” on the independent counsel to try the witnesses. “Immunity from the House or the Senate will affect the possibility of Mueller indicting,” says Ronald Rotunda, a professor at Chapman University School of Law who worked on both the Senate Watergate Committee during President Richard Nixon’s term and was special counsel to the Whitewater investigation. “On the other hand, I think that it’s important for us to know what’s going on, and while the House and the Senate shouldn’t pass out immunity orders like breath mints, if it’s useful to give immunity, then that’s something that they ought to do.” Which provides all the more reason for Mueller to work quickly outside the congressional probes, in case Congress is inclined to offer immunity to anyone he is pursuing. (It has been reported, for example, that former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, a likely target of Mueller’s probe, requested immunity from the Senate Intelligence Committee. The request [was denied](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/senate-intelligence-committee-rejects-immunity-michael-flynn-n741061).) The question now is just how fast Mueller is really going, and when the public will get answers. “It appears that Bob Mueller is entirely serious about this inquiry, that he has assembled a very capable and experienced staff, and that they are proceeding apace,” says Richard Ben-Veniste, one of the lead prosecutors on the Watergate Special Prosecution Force. “They demanded documents from the White House, they’ve issued subpoenas to various individuals, they’ve taken testimony under oath, and I would expect that we will be hearing more in the reasonably short term.” ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] Russia has returned as a perceived threat for many Americans. Russia is raising grave concern. They're trying to break the backs of democracies. Something really weird had happened that had to do with Russia. Seventy percent of them view Russia unfavorably A percentage that's risen steadily over the past few years. The country's relationship with the West has deteriorated since the 2014 invasion of Crimea. And Russian officials have even referred to what's happening as a new Cold War. [ FOREIGN ] But do Americans have reason to fear Russia today? Vladimir Putin's Russia has become increasingly aggressive toward the West. In 2014, Russia illegally invaded and annexed Crimea in Ukraine. The US and EU retaliated with hefty sanctions. Major sanctions we're announcing today will continue to ratchet up. The pressure on Russia, including the cronies and companies that are supporting Russia's illegal actions in Ukraine. [ MUSIC ] This marked a turning point in how the world treated Russia, leaving the country diplomatically isolated and bitter. Russia has reacted by resisting America and the West in various ways. From vetoing action at the UN Security Council, to militarily backing Syria's Assad regime, a move that risked a proxy war with the US and its allies. Russia and Assad are bombing the humanitarian convoys, hospitals and first responders, who are trying desperately to keep people alive. In 2016, Russian hackers targeted the Democratic National Committee, and Hillary Clinton's Campaign before the presidential Election. They introduced chaos and division and discord and sowed doubt about about the nature of this amazing country of ours, and our democratic process. That left Europeans fearing meddling withing their own democracies. Amid these tensions, Putin has repeatedly reminded the West that Russia has the world's largest nuclear arsenal. Largest nuclear arsenal, which makes any confrontation with Moscow more threatening. Russia would like to change the status quo, but it's limited in its ability to do so. Sanctions and low oil prices have put Put the breaks on Russia's economy, and a youthful opposition movement is growing within the country. [ FOREIGN ] From a military perspective Russia is outmatched. Its defense budget is a ninth the size of the U. S. 's and it has no alliance system comparable to NATO. Although Moscow's military is trying to catch up, it lacks the money and technology to do so. [ MUSIC ] Arsenal of nuclear weapons has become a major source of fear and controversy. Not too long ago, Americans feared a conflict with Russia would end in nuclear holocaust. Explicit threat to the peace and security of all the Americas. But today's Russia would prefer to have influence over America rather than wipe it from the map. 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