ROBERT MUELLER/RUDY GIULIANI/RUSSIA INVESTIGATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump’s lawyers rejected the special counsel’s latest terms for an interview in the Russia investigation, countering on Wednesday [8-8-18] with an offer that suggested a narrow path for answering questions, people familiar with the matter said. Jay Sekulow, one of Mr. Trump’s personal lawyers, confirmed that a response was sent but declined to comment on its content. Noting the documents that the White House has already provided, the president’s lead lawyer in the case, Rudolph W. Giuliani, said, ‘We’re restating what we have been saying for months: It is time for the Office of Special Counsel to conclude its inquiry without further delay.’ The letter marked the latest back and forth in the eight months of negotiations between Mr. Trump’s lawyers and the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III. Last week, Mr. Mueller proposed a slightly altered format to the expansive interview he wants to conduct with the president. Mr. Trump’s lawyers did not reject an interview outright but included the narrower counteroffer, one person familiar with the response said. However, Mr. Trump’s lawyers do not want him answering questions about whether he obstructed justice, according to the person, who did not want to be named describing the private negotiations and spoke on the condition of anonymity.”
–Michael S. Schmidt and Maggie Haberman, “Trump’s Lawyers Counter Mueller’s Interview Offer, Seeking a Narrower Scope,” The New York Times online, August 8, 2018