Another top prosecutor in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation is departing, indicating that the Russia inquiry is winding down.
Zainab Ahmad, the former assistant U.S. attorney of the Eastern District of New York who built a resume around prosecuting counterterrorism cases, is the second Mueller investigation prosecutor said to be leaving the investigation in the past week. Ahmad was among the prosecutors handling former national security adviser Michael Flynn’s plea deal.
“Zainab Ahmad has concluded her detail with the Special Counsel’s Office but will continue to represent the office on specific pending matters that were assigned to her during her detail,” special counsel spokesman Peter Carr said in a statement Monday.
Her departure from the investigation follows confirmation of another top prosecutor’s impending departure with the Justice Department confirming Andrew Weissmann is also set to leave “in the near future.” Weissmann led the federal inquiry’s case against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who over the past week was sentenced to roughly seven and a half years in prison for conspiracy and fraud.
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But as prosecutors are leaving the investigation, there are signs the Russia investigation still has a ways to go.
Last week, Mueller’s team confirmed Rick Gates, a former Trump campaign official and associate of Manafort, is helping on “several ongoing investigations.”
“Gates continues to cooperate with respect to several ongoing investigations, and accordingly the parties do not believe it is appropriate to commence the sentencing process at this time,” the filing on Friday from Mueller’s office said. The filing additionally points out that Gates’ status with respect to the investigations remains unchanged from January.
Gates reached a plea deal with Mueller’s team last year and delivered one of the key testimonies against Manafort.
Additionally three U.S. officials recently told Reuters that Mueller’s team has funding until the end of September, indicating that the inquiry could last for several more months.
Preet Bharara, the former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said Sunday he remains skeptical that the investigation is on the verge of ending.
“I’m an outsider now and I don’t still run the Southern District of New York and I’m not aware of what’s going with various investigations that sometimes, you know, intersect with the special counsel’s investigation,” Bharara said to CBS News’ Margaret Brennan on “Face the Nation.” “But I think people should view with some skepticism the notion that gets breathlessly reported every week that the Mueller investigation is coming to an end.”
