Trump says he authorized staff to cooperate with Mueller
WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump said on Saturday he had authorized White House counsel Don McGahn and other staffers to “fully cooperate” with the investigation into alleged collusion between his campaign and Moscow.
Trump’s remarks came after The New York Times reported that McGahn had “cooperated extensively” with the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller, taking part in at least three interviews with investigators totaling 30 hours.
“I allowed White House Counsel Don McGahn, and all other requested members of the White House Staff, to fully cooperate with the Special Counsel,” Trump tweeted.
“In addition we readily gave over one million pages of documents. Most transparent in history. No Collusion, No Obstruction. Witch Hunt!”
Trump views the investigation headed by special counsel Mueller as a stain on his presidency, and has repeatedly pushed for it to be ended.
The Times reported that McGahn had provided “detailed accounts” about episodes relating to whether Trump sought to obstruct justice, citing a dozen current and former officials and other sources.
The information McGahn provided included the president’s attempts to fire the special counsel, and Trump’s comments and actions during his firing of FBI director James Comey, according to the Times.
The newspaper said it was unclear whether Trump knew the extent of McGahn’s cooperation, noting that it is rare for a lawyer be so open with investigators.
According to the Times report, which cited a dozen current and former White House officials and others briefed on the matter, McGahn had shared information, some of which the investigators would not have known about.
McGahn voluntarily cooperated with Mueller’s team as a regular witness, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters, as the White House asked many staff members to do.
He was not subpoenaed nor did he speak to them under any kind of proffer or cooperation agreement.
Legal authorities
The person also said he did not believe McGahn provided Mueller with incriminating information about Trump. McGahn provided the facts but nothing he saw or heard amounts to obstruction of justice by Trump, the person told Reuters.
The newspaper said McGahn was also centrally involved in Trump’s attempts to fire Mueller, which investigators might not have discovered without him.
McGahn cautioned to investigators he never saw Trump go beyond his legal authorities.
Rudy Giuliani, who joined the president’s outside legal team after Dowd resigned, told Reuters on Saturday that Trump’s lawyers had been in contact with McGahn’s counsel after he was interviewed and possessed “emails that say he provided nothing that was damaging or incriminating to the president”.