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Robert Mueller’s investigation is housed in the Justice Department. But because he is special counsel, he is unaffected by the shutdown. As a Justice Department spokesperson told The Hill, their office is “funded from a permanent indefinite appropriation and would be unaffected in the event of a shutdown.”
So basically, his office doesn’t rely on a yearly appropriation from Congress, like some other departments. And employees who work in the special counsel’s office also will not be directly affected by the shutdown (meaning, they won’t be furloughed).
(And for the record, the past government shutdowns didn’t stall Mueller’s investigation, either).
While it’s a relief to all those who want justice that the Mueller investigation will continue, the shutdown is still a seriously big deal for many people. Some federal employees will be furloughed (meaning that they’ll basically be on “leave” temporarily and won’t be paid at this time), and federal contractors will be both out of work and out of pay, without the protections federal employees have.
Trump has endlessly attacked the investigation, between calling it a “witch hunt” to attempting to divert attention by accusing Democrats of colluding with the Russians. He can only blame the “fake news” for so long, and this shutdown isn’t stopping Mueller from getting closer to the truth.