{"id":75224,"date":"2017-06-14T19:01:50","date_gmt":"2017-06-14T23:01:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/?p=75224"},"modified":"2017-06-14T19:09:14","modified_gmt":"2017-06-14T23:09:14","slug":"mueller-shows-his-hand-investigating-trump-for-obstruction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/?p=75224","title":{"rendered":"Mueller Shows His Hand, Investigating Trump For Obstruction"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0National Security<\/h4>\n

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Special counsel is investigating Trump for possible obstruction of justice, officials say<\/h1>\n

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This 2013 photo shows then-FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III on Capitol Hill. Mueller, the special counsel leading the Russia investigation, plans to interview senior intelligence officials as part of a widening probe that now includes possible obstruction of justice by the president. (Brendan Smialowski\/AFP\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/h5>\n
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The move by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III<\/a> to investigate Trump\u2019s conduct marks a major turning point in the nearly year-old FBI investigation, which until recently focused on Russian meddling during the presidential campaign and on whether there was any coordination between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin. Investigators have also been looking for any evidence of possible financial crimes among Trump associates, officials said.<\/h3>\n

Trump had received private assurances from then-FBI Director James B. Comey starting in January that he was not personally under investigation. Officials say that changed shortly after Comey\u2019s firing.<\/p>\n

Five people briefed on the requests, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, said Daniel Coats, the current director of national intelligence, Mike Rogers, head of the National Security Agency, and Rogers\u2019s recently departed deputy, Richard Ledgett, agreed to be interviewed by Mueller\u2019s investigators as early as this week. The investigation has been cloaked in secrecy, and it is unclear how many others have been questioned by the FBI.<\/p>\n

The NSA said in statement that it will \u201cfully cooperate with the special counsel\u201d and declined to comment further. The office of the director of national intelligence and Ledgett declined to comment.<\/p>\n

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Team Trump\u2019s ties to Russian interests <\/span>View Graphic<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n

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\nThe White House now refers all questions about the Russia investigation to Trump\u2019s personal attorney, Marc Kasowitz. \u201cThe FBI leak of information regarding the president is outrageous, inexcusable and illegal,\u201d said Mark Corallo, a spokesman for Kasowitz.<\/p>\n

The officials said Coats, Rogers and Ledgett would appear voluntarily, though it remains unclear whether they will describe in full their conversations with Trump and other top officials or will be directed by the White House to invoke executive privilege. It is doubtful the White House could ultimately use executive privilege to try to block them from speaking to Mueller\u2019s investigators. Experts point out that the Supreme Court ruled during the Watergate scandal that officials cannot use privilege to withhold evidence in criminal prosecutions.<\/p>\n

The obstruction-of-justice investigation of the president began days after Comey was fired on May 9<\/a>, according to people familiar with the matter. Mueller\u2019s office has now taken up that work, and the preliminary interviews scheduled with intelligence officials indicate his team is actively pursuing potential witnesses inside and outside the government.<\/p>\n

The interviews suggest Mueller sees the question of attempted obstruction of justice as more than just a \u201che said, he said\u201d dispute between the president and the fired FBI director, an official said.<\/p>\n

Probing Trump for possible crimes is a complicated affair, even if convincing evidence of a crime were found. The Justice Department has long held that it would not be appropriate to indict a sitting president. Instead, experts say, the onus would be on Congress to review any findings of criminal misconduct and then decide whether to initiate impeachment proceedings.<\/p>\n

Comey confirmed publicly in congressional testimony on March 20 that the bureau was investigating possible coordination between the Trump campaign and the Russians.<\/p>\n

Comey\u2019s statement before the House Intelligence Committee upset Trump, who has repeatedly denied that any coordination with the Russians took place. Trump had wanted Comey to disclose publicly that he was not personally under investigation, but the FBI director refused to do so.<\/p>\n