http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/trump-mueller-counsel-probe-dowd-1.4644365
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David Sampson
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![Dwight Williams]()
Dwight Williams
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![David Sampson]()
Joseph Power
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John Tolleson
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Louisa Walker
![David Allan]()
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![Peter Lewis]()
![Peter Lewis]()
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![Steve Cowell]()
![Emil Bosco]()
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Christian Jane
![Kathy Altenhofen]()
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Former FBI Director Robert Mueller is shown on June 20, 2017, not long after he was appointed to oversee the special counsel probe into potential Russian interference into the last presidential election. (Aaron P. Bernstein/Reuters)
Mueller brought up possibility of forcing Trump to sit for interview, lawyer claims
While Trump has previously said he'd be open to an interview, it hasn't happened months into probe
The Associated Press· Posted: May 02, 2018 5:12 AM ETComments
David Sampson
Mueller's team has exhibited extreme discipline in preventing leaks and getting on with their business. Thus it comes as a surprise that the leaking of questions is being attributed to Mueller or his team. More likely it was Trump ( for whatever mad reason he may imagine ) or Trump's team. This probe must be allowed to do it's job without interference and be allowed to follow wherever the leads direct.
David Amos
@Greg Gore (formerly Greggore) "FYI - don't ever let a cop snoop around your house...they'll always find something to charge you with. That's exactly what Mueller wants."
Good analogy Sir
Good analogy Sir
Dwight Williams
God only knows what bombs would drop unthinkingly from Trump's lips if he were actually put on the stand. It would be a defence lawyers nightmare.
David Amos
@Dwight Williams "It would be a defence lawyers nightmare"
YUP But
Methinks everybody would love the circus N'esy Pas?
YUP But
Methinks everybody would love the circus N'esy Pas?
Joseph Power
A man who has nothing to hide would have nothing to lose by coming clean.
Trump promised to release his tax returns and he promised a transparent government. Trump supporters, why are you letting him off the hook?
Trump promised to release his tax returns and he promised a transparent government. Trump supporters, why are you letting him off the hook?
David Amos
@Joseph Power How many promises did Obama make that he did not follow through on?
John Tolleson
Mueller - Highly decorated VETERAN
Trump - spoiled rich kid DRAFT DODGER
Should be an interesting meeting. LOL
Trump - spoiled rich kid DRAFT DODGER
Should be an interesting meeting. LOL
David Amos
@John Tolleson Methinks that you don't know Mr. Mueller as well as I do N'esy Pas?
Louisa Walker
So any doubt left the leaks are coming from Donnie’s team?
David Allan
@Evan Mulligan
"Personally, I think it's KellyAnne."
She wasn't in the room.
Lawyers aren't going to blather on about privileged info with anyone not contained in that privilege.
"Personally, I think it's KellyAnne."
She wasn't in the room.
Lawyers aren't going to blather on about privileged info with anyone not contained in that privilege.
David Amos
@David Allan "Lawyers aren't going to blather on about privileged info"
Methinks Trump's lawyers should mention page two of this old file of mine ASAP This file ain't privileged info its filed in the public record of the Federal Court of Canada N'esy Pas?
https://www.scribd.com/document/2619437/CROSS-BORDER
Methinks Trump's lawyers should mention page two of this old file of mine ASAP This file ain't privileged info its filed in the public record of the Federal Court of Canada N'esy Pas?
https://www.scribd.com/document/2619437/CROSS-BORDER
John Sollows
When James Comey announced the presence of Hillary's e-mails on Anthony Weiner's computer leading to the possible need to re-open the investigation, Hillary called for a full, open, immediate investigation.
Why do 45 and his friends keep resisting and complaining about the Muller investigation?
Why do 45 and his friends keep resisting and complaining about the Muller investigation?
Peter Lewis
@John Sollows Simple. Hillary knew any investigation into her foibles would be 'below- the-board' and Trump initially was so naive to think that all these investigations were conducted honestly, and 'above-the-board'.
David Amos
@Peter Lewis Methinks that even Trump is not that naive He knew the damage was done and it was all over but the crying for Hillary after the Comey story hit the news and Wikileaks dumped the DNC emails N'esy Pas?
Steve Cowell
China is allowing Trump to claim credit for North Korea's "change of heart" to legitimize his presidency and thus encourage American isolationism.
Emil Bosco
@Steve Cowell The Chinese have an end game, one way trade with the ROW, Taiwan the South China Sea and The Silk Road. The Donald is impatient and China is patient.
David Amos
@Emil Bosco "The Donald is impatient and China is patient."
Well put
Well put
Christian Jane
tRump's only hope, if he is questioned at all, is that neither a Grand Jury nor the FBI is involved in the questioning.
Untruthful responses to the first is perjury, and it's a crime to be untruthful with the FBI.
And tRump seems completely incapable of opening his mouth and letting the truth fall out. Feet, yes; truth, no.
Untruthful responses to the first is perjury, and it's a crime to be untruthful with the FBI.
And tRump seems completely incapable of opening his mouth and letting the truth fall out. Feet, yes; truth, no.
Kathy Altenhofen
@Christian Jane And I thought he only opened his mouth to fill it with his feet! I guess he needs to remove them occasionally so he can embarrass himself and the rest of America on the world stage.
Michael Murphy
@Christian Jane
The problem is I don't really believe Trump ever actually knows what the truth really is
The problem is I don't really believe Trump ever actually knows what the truth really is
Kathy Altenhofen
@Michael Murphy It's as malleable as his ethics.
David Amos
@Kathy Altenhofen Ethics???
Methinks lawyer politicians, bankers and cops have no understanding of that word whatsoever N'esy Pas?
Methinks lawyer politicians, bankers and cops have no understanding of that word whatsoever N'esy Pas?
gerald wand
Trump under oath ..sure.
David Amos
@gerald wand LOL
Louisa Walker
Sessions was correct in recusing himself. It’s probably the most honourable thing mr Keebler has ever done in his life.
Holly Pinkham
@Louisa Walker I believe Sessions foresaw the trouble coming and didn't want to be a part of it and that's why he recused himself, for self protection.
David Amos
@Holly Pinkham I agree
Mueller brought up possibility of forcing Trump to sit for interview, lawyer claims
While Trump has previously said he'd be open to an interview, it hasn't happened months into probe
The Associated Press· Posted: May 02, 2018 5:12 AM ET
The special counsel leading the Russia investigation raised the prospect in March of issuing a grand jury subpoena for President Donald Trump, his former attorney said, confirming that investigators have floated the extraordinary idea of forcing a sitting president to testify under oath.
Attorney John Dowd told The Associated Press on Tuesday that special counsel Robert Mueller's team broached the subject during a meeting with Trump's legal team while they were negotiating the terms of a possible interview with the president.
It was not immediately clear in what context the possibility of a subpoena was raised or how serious Mueller's prosecutors were about the move. Mueller is probing not only Russian election interference and possible coordination with Trump associates but possible obstruction of justice by Trump.
Even if Mueller's team decided to subpoena Trump as part of the investigation, he could still fight it in court or refuse to answer questions by invoking his Fifth Amendment protection from self-incrimination.
Dowd's comments come more than a month after he resigned from the legal team, and they provide a new window into the nature of the Trump lawyers' interactions with the special counsel, whom the president has increasingly tried to undermine through public attacks.
On Tuesday, Trump said it was "disgraceful" that a list of proposed questions drafted in response to Mueller's negotiations with the legal team was "leaked" to the news media.
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John Dowd, seen in a file photo, left Donald Trump's legal team in April. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters) The about four dozen questions were compiled by Trump's lawyers during negotiations with Mueller's investigators earlier this year over the prospect of a presidential interview.
A person familiar with the matter, who insisted on anonymity to discuss ongoing negotiations, told the AP that the president's lawyers extrapolated the list of expected questions based off conversations with Mueller's team about the topics prosecutors wanted to cover in a potential sit down with Trump. The questions reflected what the defense lawyers anticipated Trump would be asked, rather than verbatim queries that Mueller's team provided, the person said.
The Washington Post first reported that Mueller's team raised the possibility of a subpoena for Trump. The New York Times first published the list of questions.
According to the list, the questions range from Trump's motivations for firing FBI Director James Comey a year ago to contacts Trump's campaign had with Russians. Although Mueller's team has indicated to Trump's lawyers that he's not considered a target, investigators remain interested in whether the president's actions constitute obstruction of justice and want to interview him about several episodes in office. They have not yet made a decision about an interview.
In his tweet, Trump said there were "no questions on Collusion" and, as he has many times before, called Mueller's investigation a "Russian witch hunt." He said collusion with the Russians "never existed."
In a second tweet, Trump said: "It would seem very hard to obstruct justice for a crime that never happened."
The questions do appear to indicate that Mueller is looking into possible collusion. Some touch on Russian meddling and whether the Trump campaign coordinated in any way with the Kremlin. In one question, Mueller asks what Trump knew about campaign staff, including his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, reaching out to Moscow.
Mueller has brought several charges against Manafort already, including money laundering and bank fraud. None of the charges relates to allegations of Russian election interference and possible coordination with Trump associates, and Manafort has denied having anything to do with such an effort.
The questions also involve key moments from the early months of the Trump administration, including his reaction to Attorney General Jeff Sessions's recusal from the Russia investigation and Trump's firing of his national security adviser, Michael Flynn.
One question asks whether there were any efforts to reach out to Flynn "about seeking immunity or possible pardon" ahead of his guilty plea last year. Flynn is now cooperating with Mueller.
Russia has denied interfering in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as U.S. intelligence agencies allege.
Attorney John Dowd told The Associated Press on Tuesday that special counsel Robert Mueller's team broached the subject during a meeting with Trump's legal team while they were negotiating the terms of a possible interview with the president.
It was not immediately clear in what context the possibility of a subpoena was raised or how serious Mueller's prosecutors were about the move. Mueller is probing not only Russian election interference and possible coordination with Trump associates but possible obstruction of justice by Trump.
Even if Mueller's team decided to subpoena Trump as part of the investigation, he could still fight it in court or refuse to answer questions by invoking his Fifth Amendment protection from self-incrimination.
Dowd's comments come more than a month after he resigned from the legal team, and they provide a new window into the nature of the Trump lawyers' interactions with the special counsel, whom the president has increasingly tried to undermine through public attacks.
On Tuesday, Trump said it was "disgraceful" that a list of proposed questions drafted in response to Mueller's negotiations with the legal team was "leaked" to the news media.
A person familiar with the matter, who insisted on anonymity to discuss ongoing negotiations, told the AP that the president's lawyers extrapolated the list of expected questions based off conversations with Mueller's team about the topics prosecutors wanted to cover in a potential sit down with Trump. The questions reflected what the defense lawyers anticipated Trump would be asked, rather than verbatim queries that Mueller's team provided, the person said.
Awareness of Flynn, Manafort questioned
The Washington Post first reported that Mueller's team raised the possibility of a subpoena for Trump. The New York Times first published the list of questions.
According to the list, the questions range from Trump's motivations for firing FBI Director James Comey a year ago to contacts Trump's campaign had with Russians. Although Mueller's team has indicated to Trump's lawyers that he's not considered a target, investigators remain interested in whether the president's actions constitute obstruction of justice and want to interview him about several episodes in office. They have not yet made a decision about an interview.
In his tweet, Trump said there were "no questions on Collusion" and, as he has many times before, called Mueller's investigation a "Russian witch hunt." He said collusion with the Russians "never existed."
In a second tweet, Trump said: "It would seem very hard to obstruct justice for a crime that never happened."
The questions do appear to indicate that Mueller is looking into possible collusion. Some touch on Russian meddling and whether the Trump campaign coordinated in any way with the Kremlin. In one question, Mueller asks what Trump knew about campaign staff, including his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, reaching out to Moscow.
Mueller has brought several charges against Manafort already, including money laundering and bank fraud. None of the charges relates to allegations of Russian election interference and possible coordination with Trump associates, and Manafort has denied having anything to do with such an effort.
The questions also involve key moments from the early months of the Trump administration, including his reaction to Attorney General Jeff Sessions's recusal from the Russia investigation and Trump's firing of his national security adviser, Michael Flynn.
One question asks whether there were any efforts to reach out to Flynn "about seeking immunity or possible pardon" ahead of his guilty plea last year. Flynn is now cooperating with Mueller.
Russia has denied interfering in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as U.S. intelligence agencies allege.