Trump inquiry is dismissed as a ‘witch hunt’
Special counsel lines up intelligence chiefs for investigation into possible obstruction of justice
Donald Trump hit back at reports that he is being investigated for obstruction of justice in a series of angry tweets dismissing the allegations of collusion with Russia as “phoney” and the inquiry as a “witch hunt”. Robert Mueller, a special counsel, has begun approaching witnesses.
DONALD TRUMP hit back at reports that he is being investigated for obstruction of justice in a series of angry tweets dismissing the allegations of collusion with Russia as “phoney” and the inquiry as a “witch hunt”.
On Tuesday it emerged that Robert Mueller, special counsel appointed by the Department of Justice, had begun approaching witnesses as part of an investigation into whether Mr Trump tried to undermine an FBI case.
Mr Trump used his favourite medium to respond. “They made up a phony [sic] collusion with the Russians story, found zero proof, so now they go for obstruction of justice on the phony story. Nice,” he wrote in an early morning Twitter post.
The president followed it up by declaring the investigation “the greatest WITCH HUNT in American political history – led by some very bad and conflicted people!”
Mr Trump has failed to shift lingering concerns about any ties between his presidential campaign and a Russian effort to sway the outcome of the election. While no evidence has ever been found to suggest his political associates were connected to hackers who stole emails from Hillary Clinton’s campaign team, Mr Trump’s decision to sack James Comey as FBI director provoked accusations of a cover-up.
The Washington Post, citing unidentified officials, said the obstruction of justice investigation began days after Mr Comey was dismissed on May 9.
Mr Mueller’s office has since taken up that work. In public testimony before senators last week, Mr Comey said he believed he had been dismissed because of his investigation into Russian hacking and allegations of collusion.
Mr Trump’s Twitter reaction shows his team’s strategy is to undermine the investigation as political. But conservatives suggested he appeared rattled. “If there was no collusion and there was no obstruction, Trump has nothing to worry about,” said Bill Kristol, editor- at-large of The Weekly Standard. “But he’s worried.”
The developments show how an investigation can snowball and raises echoes of Richard Nixon’s downfall. Obstruction of justice was one of the allegations that would have formed the basis for impeachment proceedings had the president not resigned in 1974.
According to the Washington Post, Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence, Mike Rogers, the head of the National Security Agency, and Richard Ledgett, the former deputy director at the NSA, have all agreed to be interviewed by Mr Mueller’s investigators as early as this week.
He has been building a formidable team including a fraud expert who helped convict Kenneth Lay, head of Enron, suggesting Mr Trump’s business empire may come under scrutiny.
Mark Corallo, a spokesman for Mr Trump’s legal team, denounced the reports, saying: “The FBI leak of information regarding the president is outrageous, inexcusable and illegal.”
Moscow has denied it interfered in last year’s election.
In a separate development, Vice President Mike Pence has hired outside legal counsel to help with both congressional committee inquiries and the special counsel investigation.