Morrison offers to help Trump in investigation
CANBERRA: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison agreed to help United States President Donald Trump’s investigation into a probe looking at Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election.
Trump phoned Morrison to ask for help with his inquiry, which was looking into how the investigation by US Special Counsel Robert Mueller started.
Australia’s former high commissioner to the UK, Alexander Downer, played a significant role in sparking the FBI investigation in the Trump campaign and Russia.
Morrison agreed to support the inquiry.
‘‘The Australian Government has always been ready to assist and cooperate with efforts that help shed further light on the matters under investigation,’’ a government spokesman said yesterday.
‘‘The PM confirmed this readiness once again in conversation with the president.’’
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said the prime minister needed to give straight answers about the phone call.
‘‘I think Scott Morrison needs to be very clear about the circumstances around this phone call, what was said and whether any agreement was reached in terms of assistance,’’ he said yesterday.
Labor frontbencher Bill Shorten called on Morrison to release a full transcript.
‘‘Prime Minister Morrison got a very warm, indeed special reception from President Trump,’’ he said.
‘‘Mr Morrison needs to clean up the perception that perhaps the special reception was returned for special favours done.’’
He said nobody wanted to see a prime minister with the perception of being a lapdog to an American domestic political agenda.
Downer met George Papadopoulos, a Trump campaign adviser, who told him of damaging Russian information about rival Hillary Clinton.
‘‘I had a conversation with this guy and I passed on one element of the conversation to the Americans. There’s just nothing more to it,’’ Downer said yesterday.
‘‘I know nothing about conversations about that Scott Morrison has had with the Americans, including President Trump, about this.’’
Australia’s ambassador to Washington, Joe Hockey, wrote to US Attorneygeneral William Barr about his investigation into the origins of the FBI’s probe into Russia.
‘‘The Australian Government will use its best endeavours to support your efforts in this matter,’’ he said in a May 28 letter.
Trump’s call to Morrison comes after revelations he called Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelensky to ask for help investigating Democrat presidential hopeful Joe Biden.
The Washington Post reported yesterday Barr had also made overtures on behalf of Trump to British intelligence officials, and last week he and US attorney John Durham met senior Italian government officials and Barr asked them to help Durham, who is reviewing American intelligence agencies’ examination of Russian interference in the 2016 election.
The Post said Barr’s involvement was likely to spur further criticism by Democrats who are pursuing an inquiry into impeaching Trump. — AAP/Reuters