The StormTrumpers are on the march. Whenever Donald Trump is in trouble, there is a rapid response team of defenders who fan out across the InterTubes to either deny that there is anything untoward afoot, or to clumsily try to change the subject with unrelated and unfounded distractions.

Something like that may be going on now as a bombshell story broke regarding special counsel Robert Mueller. Natasha Bertrand of the Atlantic published a story on Tuesday about an alleged scheme to tarnish the otherwise pristine reputation of Mueller with accusations of sexual harassment or assault. Bertrand’s article reported that:

“A company that appears to be run by a pro-Trump conspiracy theorist offered to pay women to make false claims against Special Counsel Robert Mueller in the days leading up to the midterm elections—and the special counsel’s office has asked the FBI to weigh in.”

The story has all the ingredients of a risque melodrama. It revolves around a woman who says that she was offered $20,000 to make a public accusation of sexual misconduct against Mueller. There was no truth to the charges. The woman, who identified herself as Lorraine Parsons, said that the offer came from a private intelligence firm called Surefire Intelligence. This firm has connections to a GOP activist named Jack Burkman and a notorious pro-Trump conspiracy theorist, Jacob Wohl. Wohl had already been hyping a “scandalous” Mueller story since Tuesday morning.

Bertrand’s article contains more details along with some provocative speculation. And there is more here from NBC. At this early stage of the story it’s impossible to ascertain whether there is any substance to it. But it shouldn’t surprise anyone if it turns out to be true. This is the sort of depravity that dirty tricksters like Wohl and Roger Stone and Gateway Pundit Jim Hoft engage in on a regular basis. And Burkman is well known for having led his own investigation of the deplorable and debunked conspiracy theory about the murder of Seth Rich.

While it would be prudent to wait for more information to develop before coming to any conclusions, there is one lesson that can be learned and applied for future targets of similar allegations. The first thing that Mueller did after being apprised of this affair was to refer it to the FBI and ask them to investigate it. That’s the behavior of an innocent man. Unlike that of now Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh – and his protectors in Trump’s White House and the Republican Party – who all refused to cooperate with a comprehensive probe into the charges against him.

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Presumably we will hear more about this as information becomes available. And the FBI’s report will also shed light on the matter, assuming it’s released to the public. In the meantime, it will be interesting to watch the right-wing conspirators twisting in the wind as they struggle to make excuses for the crimes that are being alleged and unveiled. Generally when they resort to this sort of underhanded activity, their nervous reactions tend to expose their eventual guilt. Keep the popcorn handy for this one.