So, why did Mueller give Cohen the green light to testify to Congress?

[bigtree]

...it could be he's reached that bridge too far we've been wondering about.

On one hand, Mueller is tasked with following his criminal investigation to the end of the evidence. On the other, there's the question of his responsibility to act to restrain targets of his investigation if he believes they are a threat or a danger.

If Trump is a guilty as the news reports suggest, he shouldn't be allowed access to the levers of our democracy, he shouldn't be in charge of our institutions of investigation or law enforcement, he shouldn't be allowed to direct our military forces, he shouldn't be allowed to make decisions concerning the nations finances.

Maybe Mueller agrees, but he's not the authority to actually hold Trump accountable. If he believes, as reported, that Trump can not be indicted in office, yet he believed him guilty of crimes, he would then be obligated to direct his efforts to inform Congress.

That's where Cohen may figure in. With such explosive revelations about what Cohen knows and is prepared to say under oath, his appearance before the newly-validated, Democratic-controlled House committee will serve as direct messaging from the Special Counsel to Congress, beckoning them to use their constitutionally mandated authority to act against the president.

Just a thought, and a hope.

[California_Republic]

1. My theory

Mueller will do nothing about Trump. He will indict everyone else and the House will need to handle Trump. And so it a information game now.

[brachism]

9. I have to agree, sadly...

Unfortunately this is how I see it playing out as well. Only time will tell.

[Wellstone ruled]

2. Watching the reactions of Trump and his minons.

And watch Trump's actions two to three days before.

[PRETZEL]

3. I thought I had heard/read

that there are certain subjects that Cohen cannot answer questions about. I think it's issues that Mueller is still investigating.

I think Cohen's testimony may very well be limited to those things he's already plead guilty to.

[bigtree]

5. I doubt it covers all of Cohen's lies to Congress

...we'll have to see what he cops to in public.

[NewJeffCT]

10. I had heard similar

that his testimony would be on things not related to the Russia investigation.

[Funtatlaguy]

4. I'm hoping that it is to inoculate the public somewhat.

Hopefully, what he has on Trump and his campaign is so bad tha he thinks it needs to be parceled out.

[WeekiWater]

6. Mueller might not want the complexities of his investigation...

and the time it will take to interfere with Congress doing its job. I imagine if this recent story is true that it puts Mueller in a difficult spot. If Cohen can speak to impeachable offenses I imagine Mueller would want him to do so. Specially if Mueller has six months or more to go.

[procon]

7. Cohen is Mueller's bait for smoking out the kingpin.

Trump reacts impulsively, he can't think ahead to the consequences of his incriminating rage tweets.

[FakeNoose]

12. Yes that's what Mueller is hoping (my guess)

... otherwise it would have been too easy for Mueller to say "No Congressional appearance" for Cohen.

The Congressional hearing will be very public and all over the air waves. The pundits will talk about it for days before and a week after it. Even Faux News will have to cover it. There's no way Cheeto can pretend it's not happening. Itchy Twitter Fingers will waste no time incriminating himself, just wait and see.

[Qutzupalotl]

8. I'm not clear on how Mueller can prevent Cohen from discussing

certain subjects, other than instructing him and Congress beforehand not to. If Cohen should let something slip indadvertently, what then?

Perhaps Mueller expects to be much further along by then, or is actually counting on information being fleshed out in Cohen’s testimony. We’ll have to wait and see. But it is heartening that stuff is *finally* happening. Mueller’s grand jury will have to finish some time before early July, so we can anticipate some action by then, but its nature and scope are hard to foresee.

[Claritie Pixie]

11. Cohen worked for Individual-1 for 10 years. He has plenty of awful things to say.

I see his testimony as an indictment of character from someone who was extremely close to Individual-1 for a long time, and a way to put more pressure on him.