Mueller requests extensive records from White House
Counsel also seeks documents from high-profile events.
The special WASHINGTON — counsel investigating Russian election meddling has requested extensive records and email correspondence from the White House, covering everything from the president’s private discussions about firing his FBI director to his White House’s handling of a warning that the Trump national security adviser was under investigation, according to two people briefed on the requests.
Robert Mueller is also interested in an Oval Office meeting Trump had with Russian officials in which he said the dismissal of the FBI director had relieved “great pressure” on him.
White House lawyers are now working to turn over internal documents that span 13 different categories which investigators for the special counsel have identified as critical to their probe, the people said. Mueller, appointed in May in the wake of Trump firing FBI Director James Comey, took over the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and whether the Trump campaign coordinated with the Russians in that effort.
The list of requests was described in detail by two people briefed on them. Both insisted on anonymity in order to discuss a sensitive investigation.
The requests broadly ask for any document or email related to a series of highly publicized incidents since Trump became president, including the firings of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and Comey, the people said. The list demonstrates Mueller’s focus on key moments and actions by the president and close advisers around the question of whether Trump sought to block the FBI investigations of Flynn and Russian election interference. His team is also eyeing whether the president sought to obstruct the earlier Russia probe.
One of the requests is about a meeting Trump had in May with Russian officials in the Oval Office the day after Comey was fired. That day, Trump met with the Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, and the Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak, along with other Russian officials. Trump told the Russians that firing Comey relieved “great pressure” on him.
Additionally, the special counsel has asked for documents about how the White House responded to questions from The Times about a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower. That meeting was set up by Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, to get derogatory information from the Russians about Hillary Clinton.
Mueller’s team has zeroed in during recent months on Paul Manafort, a former chairman of the Trump campaign, and Flynn. An official close to the probe said both men are under investigation.
Mueller’s agents have questioned witnesses and business associates of both men about whether the men sought to conceal the nature of consulting work they did that could benefit foreign governments. In a raid of Manafort’s home last month, agents sought to seize records related to Manafort’s finances.
Over the last few weeks, White House lawyer Ty Cobb began sending a series of records to the special counsel. Cobb is working within the White House to gather more of those documents and has told staff and other lawyers that he hoped to turn over many more this week.
Cobb declined to discuss the subjects that Mueller’s team has questioned him about.
“The White House doesn’t comment on any communications between the White House and the Office of Special Counsel out of respect for the Office of Special Counsel and its process,” Cobb said in a statement. “We are committed to cooperating fully. Beyond that I can’t comment.”
Mueller also asked for any email or document the White House holds which relates to Manafort, the people briefed on the requests said. Manafort resigned from the campaign before the election, amid scrutiny of his work for a powerful Ukrainian political party aligned with the Russian government.