'Probe on Russian meddling close to completion'

Acting Attorney General Matthew G. Whitaker on Monday revealed that special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into the alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 Presidential Elections is close to completion.

Whitaker's comments are the first official indication that the probe may soon be concluded, The Washington Post reported.

In response to questions about the critical comments he had earlier made on the probe while working as a television pundit before his time at the Justice Department, Whitaker said those remarks were made while he was a private citizen.

"I have been fully briefed on the investigation and I look forward to Director Mueller delivering the final report. I am comfortable that the decisions that were made are going to be reviewed. Right now, you know, the investigation is, I think, close to being completed," he explained.

Whitaker's comments are the most extensive on the Russia probe made by a senior law enforcement official recently. They come days after Mueller's office indicted Roger Stone, a longtime friend and adviser of President Donald Trump.

Stone was indicted on charges of obstruction, witness tampering and making false statements.

The indictment alleges that during the summer of 2016, Stone spoke to senior Trump campaign officials about WikiLeaks "and information it might have had that would be damaging to the (Hillary) Clinton campaign. Stone was contacted by senior Trump campaign officials to inquire about future releases by" WikiLeaks, which the document refers to as "Organization 1".

It states that Stone made "multiple false statements" about his interactions regarding WikiLeaks, and "falsely denied possessing records that contained evidence of these interactions", and "attempted to persuade a witness to provide false testimony to and withhold pertinent information from the investigations".