Monday, The New York Times reported that they have obtained a copy of the questions Special Counsel Robert Mueller is interested in asking President Trump:
The New York Times obtained the list; here are the questions, along with the context and significance of each. The questions fall into categories based on four broad subjects. They are not quoted verbatim, and some were condensed.
Michael Flynn
The Times lists five questions Mueller would like President Trump to answer about Michael Flynn.
The questions stem from his late December 2016 phone calls to Russian ambassador, Sergey I. Kislyak.
How President Trump reacted to the media reports dated January 12th, 2017 and again on both February 8th and 9th, making those phone calls public knowledge.
Mueller is also interested in what, if anything, the President knew about Sally Yates’s warning that Flynn might be vulnerable to blackmail by Russia. According to Yates’s testimony before a Senate panel on May 8th 2017, she states she warned Don McGahn, the White House counsel, first on January 26th 2017 and then again the next day, that Flynn had lied about the nature of the phone calls he shared with Kislyak. For more on Yates’s testimony USA Today
Mueller’s last two questions relate to the firing of Michael Flynn on February 13th, 2017, and if the administration or the President made any effort to reach out to Flynn about seeking immunity or a possible pardon.
Former FBI Director James Comey
According to the Times, Mueller has roughly eighteen questions in regards to former FBI director Comey. For a full list of questions see @ The New York Times
The highlights of the Comey questions:
What was the purpose of the President’s dinner with Comey, dated January 27th, 2017, and what was said? Another Meeting between then director Comey and the President dated February 14, 2017. Both meetings, James Comey recorded in memos, as reported by The News Blender, Those memos have been made public only forty minutes or so after the FBI turned them over to Congress.
Mueller is also interested in President Trump’s media comments in regards to James Comey, both before he was fired:
April 11th, 2017, what was the purpose of the Presidents statement to Maria Bartiromo, according to the Times, the statement of interest:
“Director Comey was very, very good to Hillary Clinton, that I can tell you,” he said. “If he weren’t, she would be, right now, going to trial.”
And the day after James Comey was fired as reported by the The New York Times, the President is alleged to have said to Russian Officials:
“I just fired the head of the F.B.I. He was crazy, a real nut job,” Mr. Trump said. “I faced great pressure because of Russia. That’s taken off.”
And Mueller would like to know what the President meant in his interview with Lester Holt on NBC News:
“I was going to fire Comey knowing there was no good time to do it. And in fact, when I decided to just do it, I said to myself — I said, you know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story. It’s an excuse by the Democrats for having lost an election that they should’ve won.”
Mueller would also like to know what President Trump meant in regards to two tweets, the first dated May 12th, 2017.
James Comey better hope that there are no "tapes" of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 12, 2017
The other is dated October 18th, 2017.
…people not interviewed, including Clinton herself. Comey stated under oath that he didn't do this-obviously a fix? Where is Justice Dept?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 18, 2017
Attorney General Jeff Sessions
According to the Times, Mueller has seven questions to the President in regards to Sessions. These questions focus on how President Trump felt about Sessions recusal from the Russian investigation. Did the President make any attempt to change his mind? Did the President ask Sessions to protect him from the investigation? What was his reaction to the news of the appointment of the special counsel? Why did the President hold Sessions’ resignation letter, and with whom did he discuss the resignation with? Did the President discuss ending the special counsel? There is also another tweet of interest, and what the President meant by it.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017
Campaign Coordination With Russia
The Times lists thirteen questions in regards to the Trump campaign’s coordination with Russia. See the link above for all the questions concerning the campaign/Russia questions.
The highlights
What did President Trump know about the June 9th, 2016 Trump Tower Meeting? Did the President at anytime discuss Russia real estate developments with Michael Cohen, Felix Sater or others, during the campaign? Did the President meet, on his 2013 Moscow trip, with Agalarov and Russian government officials? Were there any discussions during the campaign about meeting with Putin? What were the discussions in regards to Russian sanctions?
Mueller is also interested in the RNC platform change regarding arming Ukraine, with regards to how much if any involvement President Trump had in the change.
Mueller also asked what did President Trump know, during the transition about an attempt to establish back-channel communication to Russia, and what were Jared Kushner’s efforts in regards to establishing the back-channel.
Among many other questions, Mueller also asks what did the President know about a 2017 meeting in Seychelles involving Erik Prince.
3 Trackbacks / Pingbacks
Comments are closed.