Tax questions may see Mueller fired
UNITED STATES: Donald Trump’s allies fear that the man leading the investigation into Russia’s role in the 2016 US presidential election is zoning in on the president’s tax returns – and say he could be sacked as a result.
Close former advisers to Trump say they believe Robert Mueller, the special counsel heading the Russia inquiry, wants access to the president’s tax information. Some believe Mueller already has Trump’s tax returns and is using them to investigate his personal business dealings before becoming president.
The documents would likely detail who Trump gives money to, where his bank accounts are held, where he invests, and whether he has any debt. That information could be used to order organisations with financial ties to him to hand over relevant documents. Trump became the first major presidential candidate for decades not to publish his tax returns during the election campaign.
The president has previously agreed that Mueller, a former head of the FBI, would be crossing a ‘‘red line’’ if he investigated his family finances. It has led to concerns that Trump could sack Mueller if he believes the special counsel has obtained his tax returns.
One top former Trump adviser said: ‘‘Mueller will go for Trump’s tax returns, and that is when he gets fired.’’ Another said: ‘‘If the special counsel is subpoenaing Trump Organisation documents, surely he’s already got the president’s tax records from the IRS [Internal Revenue Service]?’’
Getting tax returns is a regular part of white-collar crime investigations, according to legal experts. They are a useful tool for understanding which organisations an individual is tied to financially. Those bodies in turn can have their documents subpoenaed.
There have been growing signs in recent weeks that Mueller, who is looking at Russian election meddling in its entirety, is interested in Trump’s business past. The Trump Organisation – the president’s family firm, now run by his sons – has reportedly received a legal request to hand over documents to the investigation.
Trump sources also believe that some of the questions forwarded by Mueller to Trump’s legal team ahead of their much-anticipated interview were about his business activity.
The developments come at a time when the president’s legal team is in flux. His lead lawyer dealing with Mueller, John Dowd, quit in March amid reported disagreements in approach. Another lawyer, Joseph digenova, lasted just days in Trump’s team before parting ways. Other top Washington attorneys have rebuffed approaches to work for him.
Trump’s lack of lawyers, just as the Russia investigation enters a critical phase, has spooked allies who fear that the president has underestimated what he is up against.
Trump cannot fire Mueller directly, but he could order Rod Rosenstein, the US deputy attorney general overseeing the Russia probe, to do so.
Rosenstein yesterday empowered Mueller to investigate allegations that Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort colluded with Russian government officials to interfere in the 2016 election.
Trump’s hostility towards Mueller, whom he has recently begun attacking by name in tweets, appears to be on the rise.
The New York Times reported that Trump ordered the firing of Mueller last June but backed down after the White House counsel threatened to resign. Leading Republicans, including South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, have suggested that the president would be impeached if he were to fire Mueller.
– Telegraph Group, AP