Associated Press: Special Counsel Team Expresses Interest in Interviewing Trump

On Tuesday, January 9, the Associated Press reported, citing an anonymous source, that the special counsel team from the Justice Department is 'interested' in speaking with Donald Trump regarding Russian interference in the U.S. elections. The source, who requested anonymity, informed the Associated Press that the issue of interviewing the President of the United States was raised in recent discussions between the President's lawyers and the investigators under Robert Mueller. However, both Mr. Mueller's spokesperson and Donald Trump's lawyers have declined to comment on this matter. U.S. intelligence agencies concluded during Barack Obama's presidency that Russia attempted to assist Donald Trump's victory by hacking and releasing emails from Hillary Clinton, the Democratic candidate, as well as through extensive social media propaganda during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. While Moscow has denied any interference in the 2016 elections to aid the Republican candidate, U.S. intelligence agencies continue to insist on this issue. The President of the United States has also denied any contact with Russia during his campaign. Nevertheless, under Robert Mueller, the former FBI director appointed as special counsel to investigate this matter, Michael Flynn, the former national security advisor, and George Papadopoulos, a campaign aide to Mr. Trump, have pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. The President dismissed Mr. Flynn on February 13 for misleading his administration regarding his contacts with the Russian ambassador in the U.S. The Associated Press states that the proposal for an interview with the President could indicate that Robert Mueller's months-long investigation is nearing its conclusion. According to the report, while the issue of interviewing Donald Trump has been raised, no decisions have yet been made regarding the details, including what the 'scope or range' of questions would be if the President agrees to an interview with the special counsel. In recent months, Robert Mueller's team has interviewed many current and former White House aides and advisors, including Reince Priebus and Jared Kushner, Mr. Trump's son-in-law.