Former Trump aide Nunberg appears before D.C. grand jury

WASHINGTON — A former Trump campaign aide appeared for hours before a federal grand jury Friday, just days after he defiantly insisted in a series of news interviews that he intended to defy a subpoena in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.

Sam Nunberg spent over six hours inside the federal courthouse in Washington. He declined to speak with the media on the way in or out of the building, and it was not clear what testimony he offered to the grand jury or what documents he provided.

His appearance marked a turnabout from public statements Monday when Nunberg, in multiple interviews, balked at complying with a subpoena that sought his appearance before the grand jury as well as correspondence with other campaign officials. In doing so, he became the first witness in the Mueller probe to threaten to defy a subpoena.

But later that night, Nunberg, who initially suggested that he considered Mueller’s document demands unreasonable, said he had relented and predicted he’d wind up complying after all. “I’m going to end up cooperating with them,” he said.

Nunberg said he worked for hours to produce the thousands of emails and other communications requested by Mueller, who is investigating whether Donald Trump’s campaign improperly coordinated with Russia during the 2016 presidential election.

Nineteen people and three companies have been charged in Mueller’s investigation. Trump has denied any wrongdoing. His lawyers are negotiating the terms of a possible interview with Mueller’s office.