Trump blasts ‘witch hunt’

DONALD Trump has hit out at reports he is being investigated for possible obstruction of justice as part of the probe of his campaign team’s links to Russia.

The allegations against the US President relate to his firing of FBI director James Comey and are the subject of a probe by the Special Counsel, Robert Mueller into possible collusion between his campaign and Moscow.

“They made up a phony collusion with the Russians story, found zero proof, so now they go for obstruction of justice on the phony story. Nice,” Mr Trump tweeted.

“You are witnessing the single greatest witch hunt in American political history – led by some very bad and conflicted people!”

The Washington Post says since Mr Comey’s firing on May 9, Mr Mueller has started to look at Mr Trump’s actions. That marks a dramatic shift.

The Post reported that five officials said the possible obstruction of justice investigation began days after Mr Comey was fired.

The newspaper also said Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence, Mike Rogers, the head of the National Security Agency, and Richard Ledgett, the former deputy director of the National Security Agency, had agreed to be interviewed by Mr Mueller’s investigators as early as this coming week.

Mark Corallo, a spokesman for Mr Trump’s legal team, on Wednesday denounced the report, saying: “The FBI leak of information regarding the President is outrageous, inexcusable and illegal.”

A spokesman for Mr Mueller’s team declined to comment.

The NSA said it would “fully cooperate with the special counsel” and declined to comment further.

Last week, Mr Comey testified in a Senate hearing that he believed he was fired because of the Russia investigation.

He also said he had told Mr Trump he was not under investigation.

“I know I was fired because of something about the way I was conducting the Russia investigation was in some way putting pressure on him, in some way irritating him, and he decided to fire me because of that,” he said.

Separately, the House Committee said former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson would appear at a hearing on Wednesday.