Special counsel Robert Mueller reportedly is "tying up loose ends" and will submit his report to the attorney general as early as mid-February, NBC News reported Thursday night.
The news outlet reported, however, it was not known if Mueller had answered the question he was hired to investigate: whether President Donald Trump or an associate conspired with Russia to help his 2016 campaign.
"They clearly are tying up loose ends," an unnamed lawyer in contact with the Mueller team told NBC News.
Mueller, appointed in May 2017 in the wake of Trump's decision to fire the FBI director, James Comey, has charged 33 people and convicted three senior Trump associates — former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, former National Security Adviser Mike Flynn and lawyer Michael Cohen.
Generally, prosecutors try to delay the sentencing of cooperating witnesses until the case in which they are helping is over, to retain leverage and secure their testimony in court.
NBC News reported its sources warn a few major outstanding matters could complicate Mueller's endgame — including Mueller's desire to interview the president about all aspects of his investigation, including obstruction of justice matters about which the president has refused to answer questions.
The Justice Department is likely to make some aspect of the report public, NBC News reported.