‘Team Mueller acted unlawfully’

Trump’s transition lawyer alleges that the special counsel obtained material through improper means

Robert Mueller, the special counsel probing Russian interference in the 2016 election, in Washington.

An organisation established for U.S. President Donald Trump’s transition to the White House said on Saturday that the special counsel investigating allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 election had obtained tens of thousands of emails unlawfully.

Kory Langhofer, counsel to the transition team known as Trump for America, Inc. (TFA), wrote a letter to congressional committees to say Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team had improperly received the emails from the General Services Administration (GSA), a government agency.

Career staff members at the agency “unlawfully produced TFA’s private materials, including privileged communications, to the Special Counsel’s Office”, according to the letter, a copy of which was seen by Reuters. It said the materials included “tens of thousands of emails”.

Mr. Trump’s transition team used facilities of the GSA, which helps manage the U.S. government bureaucracy, in the period between the November presidential election victory and his inauguration in January.

Asked for comment, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said: “We continue to cooperate fully with the special counsel and expect this process to wrap up soon.”

Counsel’s response

The special counsel’s office waved off the transition team’s complaint. “When we have obtained emails in the course of our ongoing criminal investigation, we have secured either the account owner’s consent or appropriate criminal process,” said Peter Carr, spokesman for the special counsel's office.

The GSA did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

Democrats say there is a wide-ranging effort by the President’s allies on Capitol Hill and in some media outlets to discredit Mr. Mueller’s investigation. On Friday, Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, said he fears the committee’s Republican majority intends to close its investigation of the topic prematurely.

The letter said Mr. Mueller’s office obtained the emails despite the fact that it was aware the GSA did not own or control the records. It said the special counsel’s office has “extensively used the materials in question, including portions that are susceptible to claims of privilege” without notifying the Trump for America team.

Some members of Mr. Trump’s Republican party have already urged that a second special counsel be named to investigate Mr. Mueller’s operation.