Trump under scrutiny by special counsel for Russia interference
According to the Washington Post, Robert Mueller, the US Department of Justice's special counsel for Russian interference, is investigating a possible attempt by US President Donald Trump to obstruct justice.
The investigations by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Senate Intelligence Council into Russian interference in the US election have so far been limited to US President Donald Trump's campaign team, but now Robert Mueller, the special counsel for Russian interference, has expanded his investigation to the president himself.
The Washington Post, publishing a report on this matter, while referring to Mueller's investigation into Trump's "obstruction" of justice in the Russian interference case, wrote that Mueller is currently investigating the allegations against Trump regarding his attempt to influence the US judicial system.
The Washington Post compiled and published its report based on statements from informed officials who declined to be named.
According to the newspaper, three senior intelligence agency directors have agreed to be interviewed by Robert Mueller.
In his initial response to the report, Trump's lawyer, Mark Corallo, called the FBI's leak of information about the president "offensive, inexcusable, and illegitimate."
Increasing pressure on Trump
Former FBI Director Robert Mueller has been appointed by the US Department of Justice as special counsel to investigate Russian interference.
The decision was initially met with bipartisan support, but then it was suggested that Trump was considering firing Mueller, as he might be biased in his investigation due to his friendship with ousted FBI Director James Comey.
At the same time as the news of Robert Mueller's appointment broke, the Washington Post wrote that "the White House now has ample reason to be concerned and anxious."
James Comey, the fired director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, told the Senate Intelligence Council last week that Trump tried to convince him to end his investigation into Michael Flynn, Trump's national security adviser, in a bilateral conversation, but he did not pay attention to the president's requests.
The Russian interference case is about the country's influence in the 2016 US presidential election, as well as whether the Trump campaign team was aware of this and benefited from it.
Both Trump and Russia have denied the allegations. However, the case has now taken on new dimensions as the investigation into Trump expands, and according to the Washington Post, it is considered a major turning point, as the US president had previously insisted that he was not under the special counsel's scrutiny.
Source: DW
