The following article by Olivia Beavers was posted on the Hill website January 7, 2018:
Former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara on Sunday said President Trumpappears to ignore the advice of his legal counsel as he takes to social media to defend himself amid special counsel Robert Mueller‘s Russia probe.
“What I believe is that the president doesn’t listen to his lawyers,” Bharara said on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos.”
He said Trump claims he “was listening to his lawyers,” but if he really was, then “there’s lots and lots of stuff that he would not have done, said, tweeted.”
“So here’s a person who wants to defend himself, he does it through the platform of Twitter on a daily basis,” he added.
Bharara predicted that Trump will want to meet with Mueller and his investigative team, even if his lawyers advise against it. The meeting with a “high profile, potential target” like the president would likely come as the special counsel is nearing the end of his probe.
“He said he wants to talk to the special counsel’s office. And if they make the request or say ‘we’re available for you to talk to us,’ it seems untenable not to do it,” Bharara told Stephanopoulos.
“Now, the president doesn’t have to talk, but I imagine the president will talk because that’s what he does,” he added.
Mueller is leading the federal investigation into Russian interference, including whether Trump campaign aides colluded with the Kremlin during the 2016 presidential election.
His probe appears to be picking up steam as he closes in on Trump’s inner circle.
View the post here.