Tag: obstruction of justice

At Trump’s behest, top White House lawyer urged Jeff Sessions not to step aside from Russia probe

The following article by Matt Zapotosky and Josh Dawsey was psoted on the Washington Post website January 4, 2018″

President Trump sits with Attorney General Jeff Sessions last month. Trump’s White House counsel personally lobbied Sessions to not recuse himself from the Justice Department’s investigation into potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign. (Evan Vucci/AP)

At the behest of President Trump, the White House’s top lawyer called Attorney General Jeff Sessions shortly before he recused himself from the FBI investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and tried to persuade him not to do so, according to two people familiar with the discussions.

By then, one of the people said, Sessions had essentially already made up his mind to step aside, and though the lawyer’s phone call sparked some additional discussions, the attorney general would ultimately turn over the probe to his top deputy. Continue reading “At Trump’s behest, top White House lawyer urged Jeff Sessions not to step aside from Russia probe”

Obstruction Inquiry Shows Trump’s Struggle to Keep Grip on Russia Investigation

The following article by Michael S. Schmidt was posted on the New York Times website January 4, 2018:

Jeff Sessions’s recusal from the Russia investigation has been a source of friction with President Trump. Credit Tom Brenner/The New York Times

WASHINGTON — President Trump gave firm instructions in March to the White House’s top lawyer: stop the attorney general, Jeff Sessions, from recusing himself in the Justice Department’s investigation into whether Mr. Trump’s associates had helped a Russian campaign to disrupt the 2016 election.

Public pressure was building for Mr. Sessions, who had been a senior member of the Trump campaign, to step aside. But the White House counsel, Donald F. McGahn II, carried out the president’s orders and lobbied Mr. Sessions to remain in charge of the inquiry, according to two people with knowledge of the episode. Continue reading “Obstruction Inquiry Shows Trump’s Struggle to Keep Grip on Russia Investigation”

White House Counsel Knew in January Flynn Probably Violated the Law

The following article by Murray Waas was posted on the ForeignPolicy.com website December 20, 2017:

Don McGahn was looking at whether the national security advisor violated federal laws just days after Trump moved into the White House.

The White House turned over records this fall to special counsel Robert Mueller revealing that in the very first days of the Trump presidency, Don McGahn researched federal law dealing both with lying to federal investigators and with violations of the Logan Act, a centuries-old federal law that prohibits private citizens from negotiating with foreign governments, according to three people with direct knowledge of the confidential government documents.

The records reflected concerns that McGahn, the White House counsel, had that Michael Flynn, then the president’s national security advisor, had possibly violated either one or both laws at the time, according to two of the sources. The disclosure that these records exist and that they are in the possession of the special counsel could bolster any potential obstruction of justice case against President Donald Trump. Continue reading “White House Counsel Knew in January Flynn Probably Violated the Law”

Focus on Flynn, Trump timeline suggests obstruction is on Mueller’s mind

The following article by Carol E. Lee and Julia Ainsley was posted on the NBC News website December 11, 2017:

WASHINGTON — Special counsel Robert Mueller is trying to piece together what happened inside the White House over a critical 18-day period that began when senior officials were told that National Security Adviser Michael Flynn was susceptible to blackmail by Russia, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.

The questions about what happened between Jan. 26 and Flynn’s firing on Feb. 13 appear to relate to possible obstruction of justice by President Donald Trump, say two people familiar with Mueller’s investigation into Russia’s election meddling and potential collusion with the Trump campaign. Continue reading “Focus on Flynn, Trump timeline suggests obstruction is on Mueller’s mind”

Can the president obstruct justice?

The following article by Allison Michaels was posted on the Washington Post website December 8, 2017:

One of President Trump’s private lawyers, John Dowd, made a bold claim Monday that a president cannot be found guilty of obstruction of justice.

The statement raised a lot of questions for legal experts when it comes to laws applying to the American presidency: Can a president obstruct justice? Or is he immune from this as the chief law enforcement officer in the country?

With the help constitutional scholars, this episode of  “Can He Do That?” seeks  to answer some of the biggest questions we tackle on this podcast: Continue reading “Can the president obstruct justice?”

Legal experts: Trump’s tweet could lead to obstruction of justice charges

The following article by Jacqueline Thomsen was posted on the Hill website December 2, 2017:

President Trump’s tweet suggesting that he knew former national security adviser Michael Flynn had lied to the FBI at the time of his firing has prompted ethics experts and political observers to question whether Mueller could probe the president for obstruction of justice.

Walter Shaub, the former director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, said Saturday that Trump’s tweet would have been enough to end past administrations.

Continue reading “Legal experts: Trump’s tweet could lead to obstruction of justice charges”

Trump Obstruction Of Justice Investigation Deepens

The following article by Jason Le Miere with Newsweek was posted on the National Memo website November 21, 2017:

President Donald Trump may have convinced himself that the investigation into his campaign’s alleged links to Russia is winding down, but evidence suggests quite the opposite—and that it is inching ever closer to his door. Specifically, Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into possible obstruction of justice is ratcheting up, according to reports.

Mueller’s team recently requested that the Justice Department hand over a slew of documents, notably including emails related to Trump’s firing of former FBI Director James Comey in May, ABC News reported Sunday. Separately, it has been reported that Mueller’s team of investigators will interview several senior White House officials in the coming weeks, including three with close knowledge of possible obstruction of justice. Continue reading “Trump Obstruction Of Justice Investigation Deepens”

Fact Checker’s guide to obstruction of justice, executive privilege and impeachment

The following article by Michelle Ye Hee Lee was posted on the Washington Post website July 10, 2017:

The special counsel overseeing the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 elections widened the scope of the probe — including whether President Trump obstructed justice when firing James B. Comey as FBI director. Now, with every new development, Trump’s critics are quick to call for his impeachment and label his actions as obstruction of justice.

Yet this is not a simple process, and many times, such reactions are exaggerated. It’s still early in the investigation, with no indication yet whether any findings could lead to potential charges. Continue reading “Fact Checker’s guide to obstruction of justice, executive privilege and impeachment”

Mueller Seeks to Talk to Intelligence Officials, Hinting at Inquiry of Trump

The following article by Michael S. Schmidt and Matt Apuzzo was posted on the New York Times website June 14, 2017:

Robert S. Mueller III in 2012. Credit J. Scott Applewhite/Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel examining Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election, has requested interviews with three high-ranking current or former intelligence officials, the latest indication that he will investigate whether President Trump obstructed justice, a person briefed on the investigation said on Wednesday.

Mr. Mueller wants to question Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence; Adm. Michael S. Rogers, the head of the National Security Agency; and Richard Ledgett, the former N.S.A. deputy director.

None of the men were involved with Mr. Trump’s campaign. But recent news reports have raised questions about whether Mr. Trump requested their help in trying to get James B. Comey, then the F.B.I. director, to end an investigation into the president’s former national security adviser, Michael T. Flynn. Last week, Mr. Coats and Admiral Rogers declined to answer questions before Congress about the matter. Continue reading “Mueller Seeks to Talk to Intelligence Officials, Hinting at Inquiry of Trump”

For Trump, the ‘Cloud’ Just Grew That Much Darker

The following article by Peter Baker was posted on the New York Times website June 8, 2017:

WASHINGTON — Upset about the investigation into Russian interference in last year’s election, President Trump sought relief from James B. Comey, then the F.B.I. director. By Mr. Comey’s account, Mr. Trump asked him to help “lift the cloud.”

But thanks to Mr. Trump’s own actions, the cloud darkened considerably on Thursday and now seems likely to hover over his presidency for months, if not years, to come. Continue reading “For Trump, the ‘Cloud’ Just Grew That Much Darker”