LEGAL/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Special Counsel Robert Mueller is set to begin his interviews of current and former White House officials this week as part of his probe into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election, a White House official said Tuesday [9-26-17].
Mr. Mueller told the White House earlier this month that he may want to interview current and former officials, including communications director Hope Hicks, former Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, former press secretary Sean Spicer and White House counsel Don McGahn. The special counsel may also seek to interview one of Mr. McGahn’s deputies as well as Josh Raffel, spokesman for Jared Kushner.
In addition to Russia’s actions during the election, which ranged from hacking political email systems to spreading negative and false news stories about Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, Mr. Mueller is seeking to determine whether Trump associates colluded with Moscow.
Russia has denied meddling in the election, and the Trump campaign has said there was no collusion.
The Mueller probe also is examining whether the president obstructed justice by firing FBI Director James Comey in May. The Justice Department appointed Mr. Mueller to serve as special counsel days after Mr. Comey was fired.
Ty Cobb, an attorney hired by the White House to direct its response to the investigation, said he was pleased the interviews are beginning. ‘This is a very important step toward moving the process forward to facilitate a conclusion,’ Mr. Cobb said…
Mr. Cobb said at least one person would be interviewed this week; he didn’t identify who it would be.
A spokesman for Mr. Mueller declined to comment.”
-Rebecca Ballhaus and Peter Nicholas, “Mueller Probe Turns to White House Officials,” The Wall Street Journal online, Sept. 26, 2017 04:33pm