'He's not playing': Ex-Mueller aide spells out why Papadopolous bombshell should put Trump aides on notice

Speaking with MSNBC host Ari Melber, the former assistant FBI director under Robert Mueller said the special counsel served notice on Monday to anyone tied to the White House Russia scandal that he is coming after them.

According to Ron Hosko, who served for years with Mueller in the FBI, today's indictments and the announcement that investigators already got former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos to plead guilty to lying to the FBI are signs the special counsel will not relent.

"In an investigation like this, which is rolling. indictments don't signal the end," Melber said before asking. "How does what happened today advance the trail Mueller is on?"

"I think in two big ways," Hosko began. "One, I can't help but be impressed by the pace at which they conducted the Manafort and Gates part of this investigation."

"I'm on record as saying I think this work of Mueller will take years," he continued. "It's made more complex by international activity, banking, e-mail transactions, witnesses overseas. And fact they brought something this weighty within six months of Bob Mueller taking this position is significant. On the Papadopoulos piece, I do think that is like an air burst of fireworks. He is putting others on notice that, to give my investigators a false statement, this could be you next, so don't do this."

"Typically you don't see 1001 charges -- that's 18 U.S. Code, Section 1001 -- code on false statements," he elaborated. "It's typically buried in more substantive offenses. Hanging on at end."

"I think that comes across in his strategy, he's not playing," Melber chimed in.

"He's not playing," Hosko agreed leading Melber to state, "It doesn't matter how early or who it was said to or if there's way to spin out of it, he's coming for you, even if just one offense as stand alone."

Watch the video below via MSNBC: