Tag: Russia investigation

Even now, Republicans are ignoring the storm clouds

The following commentary by Joe Scarborough was posted on the Washington Post website January 26, 2018:

Joe Scarborough
Credit: NBC/Today

We learned this week that President Trump in June ordered the firing of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, but few Republicans on Capitol Hill bothered to raise an eyebrow. In more settled times, this kind of presidential assault on an independent investigation would have stirred grave concerns throughout the halls of Congress. But Trump’s corrupted coalition has instead trotted out one twisted conspiracy theory after another, all designed to distract the president’s most fevered fans and concoct a case against Mueller’s investigation.

Wild tales of secret societies, Obama wiretaps and “deep-state” conspiracies flow freely from the tongues of Trump apparatchiks. Those preposterous narratives are then spread across cable news networks and inside Capitol Hill cloakrooms. Continue reading “Even now, Republicans are ignoring the storm clouds”

Trump’s flirtation with firing Mueller inspires new demands from Democrats to protect the special counsel

The following article by Karoun Demirjian was posted on the Washington Post website January 26, 2018:

President Trump last June sought to fire special counsel Robert S. Mueller III but backed off after White House Counsel Donald F. McGahn threatened to resign. (Bastien Inzaurralde, Melissa Macaya/The Washington Post)

Congressional Democrats on Friday demanded that lawmakers act to protect special counsel Robert S. Mueller III after revelations President Trump sought to oust him last summer from overseeing the probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

Several Democrats and one moderate Republican called for votes on Senate legislation that would prevent presidents from firing special counsels unless a panel of three federal judges agreed with the move, citing the revelations that Trump came close to pushing out Mueller last June. The president backed off only after White House Counsel Donald F. McGahn threatened to quit, according to two people familiar with the episode. Continue reading “Trump’s flirtation with firing Mueller inspires new demands from Democrats to protect the special counsel”

The Mueller confrontation that Republicans were trying to avoid has just arrived

The following article by Amber Phillips was posted on the Washington Post website January 26, 2018:

Before it came out that President Trump sought to fire Robert Mueller last June, Trump and his aides repeatedly said he wasn’t giving “any thought” to the idea. (Video: Jenny Starrs/Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

This story has been updated with more Republican reaction to the news.

The firing of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III has long been a red line for most Republicans in Congress who are trying to work with their president.

But it’s a red line they’d rather not act on — and now, with news that President Trump actually made moves to do it, they may be forced to. Continue reading “The Mueller confrontation that Republicans were trying to avoid has just arrived”

The Daily 202: Five takeaways from Trump’s thwarted effort to fire Mueller

The following article by James Hohmann with Breanne Deppisch and Joanie Greve was posted on the Washington Post website January 26, 2018:

President Trump last June sought to fire special counsel Robert S. Mueller III but backed off after White House Counsel Donald F. McGahn threatened to resign. (Bastien Inzaurralde, Melissa Macaya/The Washington Post)

THE BIG IDEA: The revelation that Donald Trump sought to fire Bob Mueller last June, but reluctantly backed off after Don McGahn threatened to resign, is the latest reminder that fear of political fallout has done more to insulate the special counsel from the president than respect for the rule of law.

The showdown, first reported by the New York Times, was confirmed by two people familiar with the episode. Continue reading “The Daily 202: Five takeaways from Trump’s thwarted effort to fire Mueller”

Trump moved to fire Mueller in June, bringing White House counsel to the brink of leaving

The following article by Rosalind S. Helderman and Josh Dawsey was posted on the Washington Post website January 26, 2018:

President Trump denied reports on Jan. 26 that he had ordered special counsel Robert S. Mueller III to be fired in June 2017, calling them “fake news.” (Reuters)

President Trump sought the firing of Robert S. Mueller III last June, shortly after the special counsel took over the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, and he backed off only after White House Counsel Donald F. McGahn threatened to resign over the move.

The extraordinary showdown was confirmed by two people familiar with the episode, which was first reported by the New York Times. Continue reading “Trump moved to fire Mueller in June, bringing White House counsel to the brink of leaving”

Trump says he would speak to Mueller under oath in Russia investigation

The following article by Josh Dawsey, David Nakamura and Devlin Barrett was posted on the Washington Post website January 24, 2018:

President Trump said on Jan. 24 that he is “looking forward” to being questioned by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. (Video: David Nakamura/Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

President Trump said Wednesday he is “looking forward” to testifying under oath to special counsel Robert S. Mueller III as part of the probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election while also mounting a preemptive defense of potential obstruction accusations.

“I would love to do it, and I would like to do it as soon as possible,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “I would do it under oath, absolutely.” Continue reading “Trump says he would speak to Mueller under oath in Russia investigation”

Mueller seeks to question Trump about Flynn and Comey departures

The following article by Carol D. Leonnig, Sari Horwitz and Josh Dawsey was posted on the Washington Post website January 23, 2018:

With indications that special counsel Robert Mueller is seeking an interview with President Trump, here are some burning questions his team will want to ask. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)

Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III is seeking to question President Trump in the coming weeks about his decisions to oust national security adviser Michael Flynn and FBI Director James B. Comey, according to two people familiar with his plans.

Mueller’s interest in the events that led Trump to push out Flynn and Comey indicates that his investigation is aggressively scrutinizing possible efforts by the president or others to hamper the special counsel’s probe. Continue reading “Mueller seeks to question Trump about Flynn and Comey departures”

Sessions interviewed by special counsel probing possible Trump campaign ties with Russia

The follow article by Ellen Nakashima, Devlin Barrett and Sari Horwitz was posted on the Washington Post website January 23, 2018:

Attorney General Jeff Sessions was interviewed last week by investigators for special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s probe. (Reuters)

Attorney General Jeff Sessions was interviewed last week by investigators for special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s probe into possible election campaign coordination between Russia and Trump associates, according to Justice Department officials.

Sessions was questioned for several hours, the officials said. In addition to the Russian coordination probe, Mueller is also investigating whether President Trump or any White House officials sought to obstruct justice in the probe. Continue reading “Sessions interviewed by special counsel probing possible Trump campaign ties with Russia”

FBI investigating whether Russian money went to NRA to help Trump

The following article by Peter Stone and Greg Gordon was posted on the McClatchyDC website January 18 2018:

President Trump addressed the National Rifle Association (NRA) convention on April 28, 2017. He’s the first president to do so in more than 30 years. “The eight-year assault on your second amendment freedoms has come to a crashing end,” Trump said. The White House

The FBI is investigating whether a top Russian banker with ties to the Kremlin illegally funneled money to the National Rifle Association to help Donald Trump win the presidency, two sources familiar with the matter have told McClatchy.

FBI counterintelligence investigators have focused on the activities of Alexander Torshin, the deputy governor of Russia’s central bank who is known for his close relationships with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and the NRA, the sources said. Continue reading “FBI investigating whether Russian money went to NRA to help Trump”

Mueller team would hardly be first lawyers to question Trump

The following article by EricTucker was posted on the Associated Press website January 17, 2018:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump was in a roomful of lawyers, venting about unfair treatment in the media that he said had understated his net worth and damaged his brand.

It was December 2007, a decade before Trump would become president and routinely excoriate reporters for “fake news.” This time, the businessman was facing a daylong deposition in his lawsuit against a journalist he’d accused of downplaying his wealth.

Had he, one lawyer wanted to know, ever lied about his real estate properties? I try not to, Trump said. Ever exaggerated? Who wouldn’t, he replied. Continue reading “Mueller team would hardly be first lawyers to question Trump”