NYT: Mueller Team Sends Questions To Trump As Part Of Interview Negotiations

Former FBI Director Robert Mueller, special counsel on the Russian investigation, leaves following a meeting with members of the US Senate Judiciary Committee at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on June 21, 2017. / A... Former FBI Director Robert Mueller, special counsel on the Russian investigation, leaves following a meeting with members of the US Senate Judiciary Committee at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on June 21, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / SAUL LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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Special counsel Robert Mueller sent questions to President Donald Trump recently, around the same time that Trump published angry tweets on Saturday aimed at Mueller and the Russia probe, according to the New York Times.

Mueller’s team sent the questions as a preliminary step in negotiations for an interview with the President, and the special counsel’s office would ask Trump questions in the interview, according to the New York Times.

Mueller’s team and Trump’s attorneys are looking to set the specifics of the interview within the next few weeks, according to Axios. In negotiations with Trump’s lawyers, Mueller has focused on post-election activity, including the firings of James Comey and Michael Flynn, per Axios.

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  1. Knowing that the questions will be answered by Trump’s lawyers, and being pretty smart lawyers themselves, I imagine that these questions were along the lines of, “Who’s the smartest person ever to be President?” “Did you hire only the best people?” “Why is it that people are out to get you?”

  2. knowing this kind of thing would set off the dotard, would that have been the true purpose for sending the questions over? Not like they had to or were obligated to do in any legal context (note: IANAL). My sense is Mueller is baiting the tRump team into a disastrous move to trigger the legal shitstorm to follow.

  3. I wonder if some questions will be about tweets Trump has written.
    I am curious whether this line of questioning could solidify their standing as Presidential statements.

  4. [quote=“centralasiaexpat, post:4, topic:69744”]
    I am curious whether this line of questioning could solidify their standing as Presidential statements.
    [/quote] Didn’t Spicer already do that last year? /s

  5. Duplicate copies of the questions were sent to Davd Dennison, John Barron and John Miller.

    But, seriously, whether these were specific questions or areas of inquiry I’m sure it is all of great concern to Trump’s lawyers and great irritation, anger and fury to Trump. Maintaining the right to ask follow up questions is what Trump’s lawyers will want to negotiate away, but Mueller’s team will not give this up.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

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