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https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/the-special-counsel-is-fighting-a-witness-in-court-who-is-it/ar-BBR0uoL

WASHINGTON — For the past several months, journalists, legal experts and close followers of the special counsel’s investigation have been trying to uncover one particular secret about the inquiry: Is the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, in a closed-door legal battle? If so, with whom?

In October, Politico reported that Mr. Mueller appeared to be in a secret fight with a witness who was refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating Russia’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 election. A CNN journalist reported seeing two of Mr. Mueller’s top prosecutors enter a courtroom in September to argue against lawyers for an unnamed client before a judge who deals with grand jury matters.

A confidential hearing in the dispute was held on Friday at the federal courthouse in Washington. One floor of the building was closed to protect the identities of the lawyers involved. But that failed to deter roughly a dozen reporters who were spotted rummaging around the courthouse trying to figure out who was involved.

Here is what we know, and do not know, about the battle:

What exactly is this fight about?

From the clues that have emerged, it appears that the dispute is about whether a witness can be forced to answer investigators’ questions. When witnesses refuse to cooperate, prosecutors often go to court to get a judge to send them to jail in order to pressure them to talk. Prosecutors are supposed to exhaust all other investigative avenues before doing this.

https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/420503-corsi-sues-mueller-for-alleged-leaks-and-illegal-surveillance


Conservative author and conspiracy theorist Jerome Corsi on Sunday filed a lawsuit against special counsel Robert Mueller, alleging that Mueller illegally surveilled him as part of the investigation.

Corsi, in the document filed in the District Court for the District of Columbia, also claims that Mueller’s office leaked confidential information surrounding Corsi’s testimony before the special counsel’s grand jury.

“Defendant Mueller and his prosecutorial and media staff, acting in their official capacity and personally, also illegally released grand jury information to harm Plaintiff Corsi by attempting to destroy his reputation and personal and professional well-being and livelihood, thus also attempting to drive him into bankruptcy,” the document reads in part.

The special counsel's office declined to comment to The Hill. The lawsuit is also filed against the Department of Justice, the FBI, the National Security Agency (NSA) and the CIA.

Corsi has previously filed a complaint with the Justice Department over the Mueller investigation, requesting that criminal and ethical investigations be opened up into the special counsel's office.

Larry Klayman, Corsi's attorney and the founder of conservative watchdogs Judicial Watch and Freedom Watch, claimed in a statement that Mueller and his team "are allegedly themselves acting in a criminal manner to further their attempted 'legal coup d'etat' to remove the president from office by any illegal means."

Both documents came after Corsi himself acknowledged that he will likely face an indictment from the special counsel in the near future.