Trump Under Scrutiny of Special Counsel Investigating Russian Interference
According to the Washington Post, Robert Mueller, the special counsel at the U.S. Department of Justice investigating Russian interference, is actively investigating allegations of potential obstruction of justice by Donald Trump, the U.S. President.
Previously, investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Senate Intelligence Committee regarding Russian interference in U.S. elections had been limited to Donald Trump’s campaign team. However, Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating Russian interference, has now expanded his investigation to include the President himself.
The Washington Post published a report stating that Mueller is currently examining charges against Trump regarding his alleged attempts to obstruct justice in the Russian interference matter. The report noted that Mueller is investigating Trump’s alleged efforts to influence the U.S. judicial system.
The Washington Post based its report on statements from unnamed officials familiar with the investigation.
According to the newspaper, three senior officials from intelligence agencies have agreed to be interviewed by Robert Mueller.
Mark Corallo, spokesman for Trump’s lawyer, called the FBI’s leak about the President “shocking, unforgivable and illegitimate” in his initial response to the report.
Mounting Pressure on Trump
Robert Mueller, former head of the FBI, was appointed by the U.S. Department of Justice as special counsel to investigate Russian interference.
This decision initially received bipartisan support, but it was later suggested that Trump was considering firing Mueller, fearing that Mueller might conduct a biased investigation due to his friendship with James Comey, the ousted FBI director.
At the time Mueller’s appointment was announced, the Washington Post wrote that “the White House now has sufficient reason to be concerned and worried.”
James Comey, the dismissed director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, testified last week before the Senate Intelligence Committee that Trump had attempted in a private conversation to persuade him to end his investigation into Michael Flynn, Trump’s national security advisor, but Comey disregarded the President’s requests.
The Russian interference investigation concerns allegations that Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and whether Trump’s campaign team was aware of and benefited from this interference.
Both Trump and Russia have denied the allegations. However, the case has now taken on new dimensions with the expansion of the investigation to include Trump himself, and according to the Washington Post, it represents a major turning point, as the U.S. President had previously insisted that he was not under the scrutiny of the special counsel.
Source: DW
