As a first step in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, the indictment of Paul Manafort did not come as much of a surprise. For once, the long-expected has actually come to pass.

Manafort’s unsavory dealings with Russian interests were being discussed long before last November’s election — even before last year’s Republican convention. Unsurprisingly, they led to his ouster from the Trump campaign after only a short tenure as its chairman. And a number of other potentially incriminating facts about Manafort have been reported about him in the time since.