US counsel may question Donald Trump for Russian interference in 2016 election
Washington: US Special counsel Robert Mueller’s team wants to question US President Donald Trump as part of the investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, media reports said on Tuesday. Mueller is trying to determine if Trump’s campaign advisers colluded with the Russian government to influence the election. The investigation also reportedly involves a probe into whether the President obstructed ju-stice when he allegedly asked ex-FBI director James Comey to drop an inquiry into former Na-tional Security Adviser Michael Flynn.
Flynn pleaded guilty in December to lying to the FBI about his conversations with the Russian ambassador, becoming the first senior White House official to cut a cooperation deal in Mueller’s inquiry. Now Trump’s legal team is pushing for a written question and answer, multiple media reports said. There was no comment from Mul-ler’s office.
The White House and Trump has been saying that he is ready to cooperate as he has nothing to hide. “Mr Trump’s lawyers are expected to try to set ground rules for any int-erview or provide answ-ers to written questions. If Mr Trump were to refuse outright to cooperate, Mr Mueller could respond with a grand jury subpoena,” The New York Times said.
The Wall Street Journal said some members of Trump’s legal team believe a meeting between the president and Mueller would be ‘gratuitous’.
“The White House does not comment on communications with the Office of the Special Counsel out of respect for it and its process. The White House is continuing its full cooperation with the Office of the Special Counsel in order to facilitate the earliest possible resolution,” an attorney, who heads Trump’s private legal team, said.
The possibility of Muller seeking to interview Trump, another media outlet said is an indication that the investigation is entering its final phase. “This is moving faster than anyone really realises,” a source told The Washington Post. So far, Mueller has interviewed several top present and former White House officials.
