Robert Mueller was due to issue a sentencing memorandum before midnight on Friday relating to the prosecution of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, but still has not done so. This may suggest that the document contains sensitive information requiring the approval of a judge or redaction before it's made public. Manafort was convicted of eight felonies and pleaded guilty to another two. He initially reached a plea deal with Mueller, but Mueller found that he violated the terms of the plea deal by misleading investigators.
Although there were rumors earlier this week that Mueller would deliver the final report of his investigation for review by newly-confirmed Attorney General William Barr, it now appears that this will not occur. There are concerns that Barr - who once drafted an unsolicited memo to the Trump administration critical of Mueller's investigation - is biased and may seek to suppress elements of Mueller's report. A group of House representatives urged Barr in a letter not to withhold evidence found by Mueller's team, suggesting that it could be construed as an attempt to cover up Trump's misdeeds. There are also concerns that Trump may pardon Manafort for his federal charges; still, New York state prosecutors have said they would pursue prosecution for evasion of taxes and related offenses. These would not trigger double jeopardy. Three companies and 34 individuals have been indicted, pleaded guilty, or otherwise been drawn into the inquiry.
In other Trump affiliate news, District Judge Amy Berman Jackson has issued a gag order on Roger Stone, restricting him from making any public comments about his ongoing case. The decision comes after Stone posted a photo to Instagram that showed the crosshairs of a gun near the judge's head. Stone has denied that this constitutes a threat.
Michael Cohen has also agreed to testify publicly before Congress next week about his work as Trump's longtime fixer, lawyer, and confidant. He was originally scheduled to appear earlier this month, but cancelled due to health reasons.
Reports this week also indicated that Trump also asked acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker if a Trump-appointed attorney could lead the Southern District of New York's investigation into Michael Cohen's hush money payments during the 2016 election. Although there's no evidence to suggest Whitaker in any way interfered with the investigation, he did previously testify to Congress that Trump had never pressured him to take action relating to any of ongoing inquiries.
Amid all the scandal-related news, the Trump administration has continued to forge ahead with its policy goals. It issued, for example, a new rule stating that taxpayer-funded family planning clinics cannot refer women for abortions, effectively cutting off women's healthcare and abortion providers like Planned Parenthood from federal funds. Some of the money will be directed to anti-abortion activist groups.
Talks with China continued in Washington this week. Reports indicated that negotiations have progressed to the draft stage, which perhaps signals progress. This has fueled optimism that the two sides will resolve their differences before the March deadline.