- Agents from the IRS’ Criminal Investigations Unit have been called into probe
- Investigation into Russian meddling in last year’s election is being overseen by special counsel Robert Mueller
- The agents will have access to the President’s tax returns, which he has refused to release
The IRS has been called in to help investigate alleged links between the Trump campaign and Russia.
Special counsel Robert Mueller, who is overseeing an investigation into Moscow’s meddling in the race for the White House, has enlisted the help of the IRS’ Criminal Investigations Unit.
A report in The Daily Beast said the unit, known as CI, will be allocating agents to the investigation.
Special counsel Robert Mueller, who is overseeing an investigation into meddling in the race for the White House, has enlisted the help of the IRS’ Criminal Investigations Unit
They are trained to spot financial crime, and have been branded ‘the very best in the business’.
The agents will have access to the President’s tax returns, which he has refused to release to the public.
Trump denies collusion between his campaign and the Russian government in last year’s presidential election.
Speaking to The Daily Beast, retired IRS CI agent Martin Sheil said: ‘IRS special agents are the very best in the business of conducting financial investigations.
‘They will quickly tell you that it took an accountant to nab Al Capone, and it’s true.’
The President has repeatedly denied any collusion between his campaign and Russia in last year’s election
The revelation came as it emerged that lawyers for the president have met numerous times over recent months with Mueller to plead their case for ending the Russia investigation.
Trump’s attorneys submitted a series of written memos to Mueller detailing why they believe the president did not obstruct justice when he fired James Comey as FBI director earlier this year, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The lawyers told Mueller they believe Comey was unreliable as a witness because he was prone to exaggeration and he has leaked information to the press.
Mueller is investigating whether Trump fired Comey in order to obstruct the federal investigation into alleged collusion between his campaign and the Russian government.
Mueller reportedly agreed to accept the memos from Trump’s attorneys though there is no indication as to whether they succeeded in persuading the special counsel to shift course in his investigation.