U.S. Rep. Faso supports Mueller investigation
KINGSTON, N.Y. » U. S. Rep. John Faso says he supports the investigation being conducted by special counsel Robert Mueller, but says congressional investigations are mostly political posturing on both sides of the aisle.
In an interview Friday, Faso said he has been following Mueller’s probe closely.
“Let the special counsel, Robert Mueller, continue with his in- vestigation,” he said.
“Obviously, it’s borne some fruit,” Faso said. “Not necessarily on the main topic of this Russian collusion. All of these indictments and guilty pleas have been on matters unrelated to that, but I think that he’s got an active investigation and let the chips fall where they may.”
So far, 19 people and three companies have been charged in Mueller’s investigation. Among them are Trump’s former campaign chairman and the former White House national security adviser. Five people have pleaded guilty.
Faso said members of the Republican-led House of Representatives should not press to end that investigation.
“I don’t think Congress should second guess it, I don’t think the administration should second guess it,” he said. “Let the American people know the results of this investigation.”
On May 20, 2017, Mueller, a former director of the FBI, was named special counsel to oversee the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Under the appointment he is specially designated to look for “any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump and any matters that ... may arise directly from the investigation.”
Faso, who is seeking election to a second term in the 19th Con-
gressional District, was asked if he believes the Mueller team is closing in on Trump.
“I really don’t know,” he said. “It’s really hard to say because the guilty pleas that have been received so far all relate to activities which these individuals conducted prior to the administration being in office. The charges against (former Trump campaign manager) Paul Manafort, the charges against (former Trump campaign aide) Rick Gates that he pled guilty to deal with them not following the foreign agent registration laws in terms of their activities representing the Ukranian regime a few years ago.”
Faso said he does not see a theme or thread involved in Trump surrounding himself with people who have had significant contacts with representatives of the Russian government.
“Right now, I don’t,” he said.
“The basic political charge here was there was some effort to collude or conspire with Russian intelligence in order to affect the outcome of the election,” Faso said. “There’s not been a single shred of evidence that anything that was done affected the outcome of the election. That is clear. No one has even alleged it now.”
Asked if subpoenas should be issued to witnesses who don’t answer questions from congressional Democrats during hearings, Faso said investigations should be left in Mueller’s hands.
“It’s unlikely you’ll get much in way of fruitful investigation from folks that have a political axe to grind in this regard,” he said. “I think what Director Mueller has... a very strong investigative team, as is he, and I think he’s going to be able to conduct this investigation without suggestions from political actors.”
Faso said he feels the same way about Republicans who are apparently trying to preserve their political position.
“I’ve discounted a lot of the stuff and a lot of the rhetoric that you hear from both the Democrats and Republicans on this,” he said. “I really think Mueller is the name of the game. That’s where the action is and I don’t think much fruitful is being said by either side of the political divide in this regard.”