The first charges of the investigation spearheaded by special counsel Robert Muller were approved Friday by a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., according to a report Friday.
A federal judge has ordered the charges to remain sealed. Sources told CNN that the plan is to have anyone charged be taken into custody as soon as Monday.
Mueller is leading the federal investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and whether the Trump campaign had any ties to the Kremlin. Over the summer it was reported, but not confirmed, that Mueller’s team was investigating President Trump for possible obstruction of justice too.
Mueller’s team is also investigating former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort regarding foreign lobbying, and former national security adviser Mike Flynn, who provided disingenuous statements about his communications with Russian officials.
Subpoenas for documents and testimonies in the probe have been issued by the Mueller team, including from contacts of Manafort.
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who is overseeing Mueller’s probe, should have been informed of any charges prior to being presented to the grand jury for approval, via rules dictating special counsel investigations.
Mueller was appointed as special counsel in May after Trump fired FBI Director James Comey, taking over the investigation Comey originally launched in July 2016.
In addition to the Mueller probe, three committees in Congress have been conducting their own Russia-related investigations.
