Mueller wants to question Trump on Flynn, Comey firings: report

Special counsel Robert Mueller wants to question President Trump on his decision to fire former FBI Director James Comey and the departure of former national security adviser Michael Flynn from the White House, according to a new report.

Two people familiar with Mueller’s investigation told The Washington Post that Trump’s legal team could present conditions for Trump to interview with Mueller’s investigators as soon as next week.

Trump’s lawyers hope to have Trump answer some of Mueller’s questions in an in-person interview and some in writing, according to the Post.

The report comes after The New York Times reported Tuesday that Attorney General Jeff Sessions was interviewed last week by Mueller’s team as part of its investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

{mosads}

The Justice Department confirmed that Sessions was questioned for several hours by Mueller’s investigators, making him the first known Cabinet official to be interviewed by the special counsel.

Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation in March, despite criticism from Trump. It was reported earlier this month that Trump ordered White House counsel Don McGahn to block Sessions from recusing himself, but the attorney general refused.

Mueller is also reportedly interested in Trump’s pressure on Sessions, one source told the Post. The person told the newspaper that Mueller was investigating whether Trump had established a “pattern” of behavior.

The Times also reported Tuesday that Comey was interviewed last year by Mueller’s team. The former FBI director’s interview reportedly included discussion of memos he wrote about interactions with Trump. One of those memos detailed a conversation in which Comey said Trump asked him to let go of the FBI’s investigation into Flynn.

Trump ultimately fired Comey in May after Sessions recommended his dismissal over the FBI’s handling of the investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s private email server. But Trump acknowledged the Russia probe was also on his mind when he fired Comey.

Flynn had been ousted from the White House in February. At the time, the White House said Trump asked Flynn to resign from his position because of “eroding trust.”

In his resignation, Flynn apologized for giving an inaccurate assessment of his conversation with then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak to Pence, then the vice president-elect.

Flynn, who pleaded guilty in December to lying to FBI agents about his contacts with Russian officials, is one of four people to be charged as part of Mueller’s probe.

A spokesperson for the special counsel’s office declined to comment to The Hill.

Updated at 4:25 p.m.