Trump officials’ emails under lens

Robert Mueller obtains emails pertaining to 13 senior Don transition officials

Washington, Dec. 17: Special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian contacts with President Donald Trump’s campaign has gained access to thousands of emails sent and received by Mr Trump officials before the start of his administration, according to several people familiar with Mr Trump’s transition organisation.

But the investigators did not directly request the records from Mr Trump’s still- existing transition group, Trump for America, and instead obtained them from the General Services Administration, a separate federal agency that stored the material, according to those familiar with the Trump transition organisation.

The tens of thousands of emails in question pertain to 13 senior Trump transition officials.

Many of the emails that Mr Mueller’s investigators have now include national security discussions about possible Mr Trump international aims as well as candid assessments of candidates for top government posts, said those familiar with the transition.

They spoke to the news agency on condition of anonymity because of the records’ sensitivity.

On Saturday, Kory Langhofer, general counsel for the transition group, sent a letter to two congressional committees arguing that the GSA had improperly provided the transition records to Mr Mueller’s investigators.

In the letter to the Republican chairmen of the House oversight and the Senate homeland security committees, Mr Langhofer contends that the disclosure by GSA was “unauthorised,” and it considers the documents private and privileged and not government property.

Mr Langhofer also said that a GSA official appointed by Mr Trump in May had assured the transition in June that any request for records from Mr Mueller’s office would be referred to the attorneys.

Mr Langhofer added that the assurance was made by then- GSA general counsel Richard Beckler, who was hospitalised in August and has since died. A copy of the letter was viewed by the news agency.

But on Sunday, another GSA official present for the conversation told Buzzfeed News that there was nothing improper about the disclosure of the emails to Mr Mueller’s team. The GSA has provided office space and other aid to presidential transitions in recent years and typically houses electronic

There was nothing improper about the disclosure of the emails to Mueller’s team. The GSA has provided office space and other aid to presidential transitions in recent years... — Lenny Loewentritt, transition’s GSA, deputy counsel

transition records in its computer system.

GSA deputy counsel Lenny Loewentritt told Buzzfeed that Beckler didn’t make a commitment to the transition team that requests from law enforcement for materials would be routed through transition lawyers.

Mr Loewentritt said the transition was informed that by using government devices, the agency wouldn’t hold back records from law enforcement. Transition officials signed agreements that warn them that materials kept on the government servers are subject to monitoring and auditing, he added.