Special Counsel Robert Mueller has been investigating President Donald Trump for allegedly obstructing justice by trying to force Attorney General Jeff Sessions from his job, it was reported on Wednesday.
Mueller, who is investigating alleged collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russia during the 2016 presidential campaign, has been interviewing witnesses in recent months over a series of tweets and statements made by Trump last summer about Sessions.
Both Trump and Russia have denied there was any collusion.
The special counsel is said to be trying to determine whether Trump wanted Sessions out so that he could appoint a replacement who would then try to interfere with the ongoing Russia probe.
News of Mueller’s line of inquiry was reported on Wednesday by The Washington Post.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller has been investigating President Donald Trump (seen second from left on Wednesday at the White House) for allegedly obstructing justice by trying to force Attorney General Jeff Sessions from his job, it was reported on Wednesday
Meanwhile, officials say that the relationship between Trump and Sessions, the former Alabama senator who was one of the president’s earliest backers, continues to be frayed.
Behind closed doors, associates say that Trump has belittled Sessions by calling him ‘Mr Magoo’ – the famous cartoon character who is known for his nearsightedness as well as his bumbling demeanor.
In public, Trump has gone out of his way to criticize Sessions on numerous occasions in recent months.
The president has been upset with Sessions since the attorney general recused himself from the Russia investigation – an act that Trump views as disloyal.
Sessions has insisted he did the right thing by recusing himself because his being a surrogate during the campaign – as well as his contacts with Russian officials – presented a conflict of interest that precluded him from overseeing the investigation into alleged hacking by the Kremlin.
Trump blames that move for the eventual appointment of Mueller to oversee the sprawling investigation. Trump has not directly attacked the special counsel.
Mueller, who is investigating alleged collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russia during the 2016 presidential campaign, has been interviewing witnesses in recent months over a series of tweets and statements made by Trump last summer about Sessions (right)
Mueller (above), the special counsel, is said to be trying to determine whether Trump wanted Sessions out so that he could appoint a replacement who would then try to interfere with the ongoing Russia probe
The criticism was so harsh that Sessions offered last year to resign, which Trump refused to accept.
Trump has since been relentlessly pressuring Sessions to investigate political rivals.
On Wednesday, Trump renewed his attacks on Sessions, describing his handling of Republican complaints that the FBI abused its surveillance power during the early stages of the Russia investigation as ‘disgraceful.’
Sessions said the Justice Department’s inspector general will evaluate whether prosecutors and agents wrongly obtained a warrant to monitor the communications of a Trump associate.
This is in response to pressure from congressional Republicans who, like Trump, have been angry about what they believe to be bias within the FBI.
Behind closed doors, associates say that Trump has belittled Sessions by calling him ‘Mr. Magoo’ – the famous cartoon character (right) who is known for his nearsightedness as well as his bumbling demeanor
Trump wrote on Twitter: ‘Why is A.G. Jeff Sessions asking the Inspector General to investigate potentially massive FISA abuse. Will take forever, has no prosecutorial power and already late with reports on Comey etc. Isn’t the I.G. an Obama guy? Why not use Justice Department lawyers? DISGRACEFUL!’
In an extraordinary response, Sessions stood up to Trump by defending his ‘integrity and honor.’
‘We have initiated the appropriate process that will ensure complaints against this Department will be fully and fairly acted upon if necessary,’ Sessions said in a statement.
Then the former Alabama senator added: ‘As long as I am the attorney general, I will continue to discharge my duties with integrity and honor, and this Department will continue to do its work in a fair and impartial manner according to the law and the Constitution.’
Sessions asked the watchdog office to investigate whether agents abused the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, but it has not said publicly that it will.
Trump is angry that Sessions referred the allegations of Justice Department employee misconduct to the inspector general, but that is exactly what the office is charged with doing.
Its lawyers are part of the Justice Department and, contrary to Trump’s claims, can and often do refer matters for prosecution.
President Trump attacked his own attorney general online Wednesday morning
The office has been working on a separate review of the FBI’s handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation but that report is not late and is expected to be released around March or April.
It was the latest of Trump’s attacks on Sessions, who continues to faithfully execute Mr Trump’s agenda.
A day earlier, for example, Sessions said his Justice Department was working towards banning rapid-fire bump stock devices at Trump’s urging, even though the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives had previously said it was powerless to do so without action from Congress.
Sessions has been largely silent in the face of Trump’s insults, which critics say has strained department morale and made Sessions seem eager to appease his boss at risk of dangerously politicizing the Justice Department.