Mueller's unexpected addition
WASHINGTON— Former Trump-Russia special counsel Robert Mueller' s longtime associate, Aaron Z eb ley, will appear alongside him and serve as his lawyer as Mueller testifies before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.
Zebley, Mueller's former chief of staff and his top aide on the Russia inv es ti gation, was an unexpected addition to the witness table less than 24 hours before the hearing. The person who provided the information, granted anonymity to freely discuss the talks, said that Mueller requested Zebley be sworn in and take questions, but the committee decided instead that he could appear alongside as a counsel.
A spokesman for Mueller confirmed that Zebley would be at t he hearing.
“Aaron Zebley was the deputy special counsel and had day- to- day oversight of the investigations conducted by ( Mueller's) office,” said spokesman Jim Pop kin. “He will accompany special counsel Mueller to the Wednesday hearings, as was discussed with the committees more than a week ago.”
Republicans were livid about the change, which they said was last minute. Georgia Rep. Doug Collins, the Judiciary panel's top Republican, called t he move an “apparent stunt” by Democrats. He said it“shows the lengths Democrats will go to protect a one-sided narrative from a thorough examination by committee Republicans.”
Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, another member of the committee, tweeted: “You don't get to change the rules right before kickoff.”
House intelligence committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D- Calif., said Tuesday that Mueller had made a similar request of his committee, which will ask questions of him in a second hearing on Wednesday.
“I would expect that he will have someone with him, and we are in discussions about precisely in what capacity that person will appear with him,” Schiff said.
Schiff appeared to have some concerns about the request, saying he didn't want to see“a hearing with Bob Mueller converted to a hearing with someone else.”
The sessions will review Mueller' s 448- page report released in April.