Special counsel Robert Mueller[1]’s team raised the prospect of issuing a grand jury subpoena to compel President Donald Trump[2] to testify as part of the Russia[3] probe, the president’s former attorney said Tuesday.
Attorney John Dowd told The Associated Press that Mueller[4]’s team broached the subject in March during a meeting with Trump[5]’s legal team while they were negotiating the terms of a possible interview with the president.
The meeting marked the first time the special counsel’s office raised the possibility of compelling Trump[6] to testify as part of the ongoing investigation. Mueller[7] is probing not only Russian election interference and possible coordination with Trump[8] associates but possible obstruction of justice by Trump[9].
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 legal team’s interactions with the special counsel, who the president has increasingly tried to undermine through public attacks.
On Tuesday, Trump[10] said it was “disgraceful” that a list of proposed questions drafted in response to Mueller[11]’s negotiations with the legal team was “leaked” to the news media.
The New York Times late Monday published around four dozen questions compiled by Trump[12]’s lawyers during negotiations with Mueller[13]’s investigators earlier this year over the prospect of a presidential interview. Mueller[14] is investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election, whether Trump[15]’s campaign was involved and if the president obstructed justice after the campaign.
The Times report said Trump[16]’s lawyers compiled the questions into a list and that document was “provided to The Times by a person outside Mr. Trump[17]’s legal team.”
The questions range from Trump[18]’s motivations for firing FBI Director James Comey a year ago to contacts Trump[19]’s campaign had with Russians. Although Mueller[20]’s team has indicated to Trump[21]’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.
Trump[22] lawyer Jay Sekulow declined to comment to the AP, as did White House lawyer Ty Cobb....
In his tweet, Trump[23] said there were “no questions on Collusion” and, as he as many times before, called Mueller[24]’s investigation a “Russian witch hunt.” He said collusion with the Russians “never existed.”In a second tweet, Trump[25] said: “It would seem very hard to obstruct justice for a crime that never happened.”The questions do appear to indicate that Mueller[26] is