Trump willing to be interviewed by special counsel
BY IANS25 Jan 2018 9:03 AM GMT
IANS25 Jan 2018 9:03 AM GMT
Washington: US President Donald Trump has said he is "looking forward" to being interviewed in an investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the US election.
He said he expected to be questioned by Robert Mueller, Justice Department Special Counsel, within two to three weeks, with approval from his lawyers, BBC reported.
"I would love to do that as soon as possible," Trump was quoted as saying.
Calling the Russia investigation a "witch hunt" and a "hoax", Trump had previously said he thought it "unlikely" he would be interviewed by Mueller.
Speaking at the White House on Wednesday, Trump said he was "absolutely" prepared to be questioned under oath by the top investigator.
"There's been no collusion whatsoever, there's no obstruction whatsoever," he said.
Mueller is trying to determine if Trump's campaign advisers colluded with the Russian government to influence the 2016 presidential election, Independent.co.uk reported.
That investigation also reportedly involves a probe into whether the President obstructed justice when he allegedly asked ex-FBI director James Comey to drop an inquiry into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.
Flynn pleaded guilty in December to lying to the FBI about his conversations with the Russian ambassador, becoming the first senior White House official to cut a cooperation deal in Mr Mueller's inquiry.
As the White House has been increasingly cooperating with Mueller's investigative team, there has been mounting anxiety -- and disagreement -- about how to respond to the prosecutor's demands.
Trump's lawyers are looking for clarification on whether he would be interviewed directly by Mueller, as well as the legal standard for when a president can be interviewed, the location of a possible interview, the topics, and how long the discussion could last.
A meeting with Mueller could pose serious risks for Trump, as it would expose him to questions over some of his most controversial actions as president, including his firing of Comey and his possible obstruction of justice.
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