Special Counsel Robert Mueller has at least four dozen questions he wants to ask U.S. President Donald Trump in his investigation of possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, The New York Times reported on Monday.
Mr. Mueller is investigating alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, possible collusion with the Trump campaign and whether the President has unlawfully tried to obstruct the probe. The Times said the majority of the questions relate to possible of obstruction of justice. Mr. Trump has said the probe is a “witch hunt” and has called for it to end.
The list includes questions about Mr. Trump’s firings of former FBI Director James Comey and former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, his treatment of Attorney General Jeff Sessions and a meeting at the Trump Tower between campaign officials and a Russian offering dirt on Hillary Clinton, The Times said. “What efforts were made to reach out to Mr. Flynn about seeking immunity or possible pardon?” Mr. Mueller planned to ask. As head of the FBI, Mr. Comey was leading the investigation before he was fired by Mr. Trump in May 2017.
22 charged
Mr. Mueller has charged 22 individuals and entities to date, including Mr. Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his associate Rick Gates.
Mr. Mueller’s questions also relate to the prospect of pardons for former aides, the report said. Flynn pleaded guilty in December to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia, and he agreed to cooperate with prosecutors delving into the actions of Mr. Trump’s inner circle before he took office.
Manafort has pleaded not guilty to charges against him that include conspiring to launder money, failing to register as a foreign agent, bank fraud and filing false tax returns. None of the charges directly relate to work he performed for Mr. Trump’s campaign.
The questions also deal with Mr. Trump’s businesses and discussions he may have had with his personal lawyer Michael Cohen about a Moscow real estate deal.
Mr. Mueller's investigators read the questions to Mr. Trump’s lawyers, The Times said. The paper said it obtained the list from a person outside Mr. Trump’s legal team.
The questions also appear to suggest that Mr. Mueller is interested in the steps that Mr. Trump took to fire him last year and his subsequent backing away from the decision, The Times reported.
