Trump told to keep mum

– Several of US President Donald Trump’s lawyers have advised him not to grant an interview to a special counsel investigating possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign to influence the 2016 presidential election, the New York Times reported on Monday.

The newspaper said the lawyers were concerned that given Trump’s penchant for making false statements and contradicting himself, he could be charged with lying to investigators.

Trump has said he would be willing to be interviewed under oath by special counsel Robert Mueller. “I'm looking forward to it, actually,” Trump told reporters last month.

A person familiar with the matter said no decision had yet been made on whether Trump would agree to an interview.

Trump denies collusion between his campaign and Moscow, and has dismissed the Russia probes as a witch-hunt.

If the president refuses to sit for an interview, Mueller could subpoena the president to testify before a grand jury. A subpoena could trigger a court fight that might ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court.

John Dowd and Jay Sekulow, who lead a team of lawyers advising Trump, want the president to refuse an interview request, the newspaper said. – Reuters

Washington