Trump claims ‘business relationship’ with Mueller

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump renewed claims that Special Counsel Robert Mueller has ‘conflicts of interest’ that should bar him from probing Russian interference into the 2016 election, saying the pair had a business relationship.

In a series of tweets targeting Mueller’s credibility, Trump alleged he had ‘a very nasty contentious business relationship’ with Mueller. The message marked the first time Trump publicly elaborated on prior vague claims of conflicts of interest regarding Mueller.

“Is Robert Mueller ever going to release his conflicts of interest with respect to President Trump, including the fact that we had a very nasty contentious business relationship, I turned him down to head the FBI (one day before appointment as SC) Comey is his close friend,” Trump said.

In January, The New York Times reported that Trump had tried to fire Mueller in June 2017 but backed down after White House Counsel Don McGahn threatened to resign if the president made him follow through with the order.

Trump, the Times said, cited three conflicts of interest Mueller had that disqualified him from the high-profile probe.

The alleged conflicts included: a dispute over fees at Trump National Golf Club; work for a law firm that once represented the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner; and an interview for FBI director a day before being named special counsel.

Trump, who has called the probe – which also seeks to determine whether the ex-reality TV star’s campaign team colluded with Russia and whether he obstructed justice – a ‘witch hunt’ and repeatedly demanded it be ended, claimed that Mueller’s team is filled with Democrats.

Mueller is a Republican like Trump, as is Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who hired the special counsel, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions. — AFP