Mueller is reportedly considering charges against Russians who leaked emails

Special Counsel Robert Mueller is putting together a case against Russians who hacked and leaked information meant to hurt Democrats during the 2016 presidential election, several current and former government officials with knowledge of the matter told NBC News.

The potential charges include violations of statutes on conspiracy, election law, and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. Several people told NBC News the charges could be announced in the next few weeks or months, or could be filed under seal because Mueller does not want some major pieces of intelligence made public. This new indictment would provide details on the Russian intelligence operation that used hackers to steal and then leak emails from the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman John Podesta; those emails were released by WikiLeaks, and President Trump cited them several times during the campaign.

One government official told NBC News it's doubtful the United States would be able to extradite the alleged Russian hackers, but an indictment would "send a signal" to the Russians and any Americans who helped them. Last month, Mueller indicted a group of 13 Russian nationals for allegedly meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

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