Special counsel Robert Mueller’s team of investigators has recently started asking witnesses about President Donald Trump’s business dealings in Russia prior to 2016, CNN reported Tuesday evening.
According to people familiar with the matter who spoke with CNN, the Mueller team’s interviews are currently focused on the timing of Trump’s decision to run for president, what compromising information Russia may have about the President and why he abandoned his push to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. Mueller is also interested in the financing of the 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Russia, CNN reported.
Mueller is reportedly interested in how Trump’s decision to run for president may have lined up with his business interests at the time. One witness reportedly told investigators that Trump was resolute about running for president in 2014, according to CNN. Trump himself claims he didn’t know he was running back then.
Funny how the Fake News Media doesn’t want to say that the Russian group was formed in 2014, long before my run for President. Maybe they knew I was going to run even though I didn’t know!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 17, 2018
Mueller is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election. The probe has focused on Russian cyber interference as well as Trump associates’ interaction with Russian officials during the campaign and the transition into the White House.
Mueller recently indicted 13 Russian nationals and three Russian entities for violating U.S. laws to aid the Trump campaign.
Read the full CNN report here.
