Report: Mueller teaming up with IRS investigators for Trump-Russia probe


Special Counsel Robert Mueller is working with agents from the IRS's Criminal Investigations unit as part of his investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, people familiar with the investigation told The Daily Beast.
This elite and secretive IRS unit's 2,500 agents work on financial crimes, including money laundering and tax evasion, and would have access to President Trump's tax returns. Martin Sheil, a retired IRS Criminal Investigations agent, told The Daily Beast that both Mueller and one of his deputies, Andy Weissmann, view Criminal Investigations agents "with the highest regard. IRS special agents are the very best in the business of conducting financial investigations. They will quickly tell you that it took an accountant to nab Al Capone, and it's true."
If Mueller decides to bring charges against anyone linked to Trump because of tax law violations, he will have to get approval from the Justice Department's Tax Division, The Daily Beast reports. Trump has yet to choose someone to run the division, and when he does pick a person for the job, that post needs Senate confirmation.
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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