SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Robert Mueller III has warned the White House that he is seeking to interview members of President Donald Trump's inner circle as part of the FBI's investigation into the administration and campaigns interactions with Russian operatives. (Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Mueller Warns White House of Plans to Interview Six Trump Aides
Pending interviews with members of the president's inner cirlce indicate the "FBI's wide-ranging probe into the Trump White House and campaign is intensifying"
Sep 08, 2017
Citing "people familiar with the request," the Washington Post reported late Friday afternoon that Special Counsel Robert Mueller III has told the White House he would like to interview six current and former members of President Donald Trump's inner circle, including former press secretary Sean Spicer and former chief of staff Reince Priebus.
Although no interviews have been scheduled yet, Mueller warned he also will likely seek interviews with interim White House communications director Hope Hicks and Josh Raffel, a White House spokesman who works closely with President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior advisor, Jared Kushner, as well as White House counsel Don McGahn and one of his deputies, James Burnham, the Post reports.
According to Politico, which also reported on the development, "the upcoming interviews are a sign that the FBI's wide-ranging probe into the Trump White House and campaign is intensifying."
"The staffers Mueller is targeting are all part of Trump's inner circle," notes Shane Savitsky at Axios, "and were involved with either the response to Michael Flynn's undisclosed contacts with Russian officials, or crafting the response to Donald Trump Jr.'s Trump Tower meeting with Russians, showing the key incidents on which Mueller's investigation is focusing."
In a report published by CNN late Thursday, which did not name the six aides, three sources claimed Mueller is targeting staffers who were aboard Air Force One when the administration concocted Don Jr.'s initial misleading statement about meeting with a Russian lawyer who claimed to have dirt on Hillary Clinton during the campaign. The statement was released in response to a series of explosive reports published by the New York Times in July.
"Ultimately," the Post reports, "according to people familiar with the discussions, the president dictated language for the statement that his son would release to the New York Times." Don Jr. was questioned about the meeting by the Senate Judiciary Committee for five hours on Thursday.
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Citing "people familiar with the request," the Washington Post reported late Friday afternoon that Special Counsel Robert Mueller III has told the White House he would like to interview six current and former members of President Donald Trump's inner circle, including former press secretary Sean Spicer and former chief of staff Reince Priebus.
Although no interviews have been scheduled yet, Mueller warned he also will likely seek interviews with interim White House communications director Hope Hicks and Josh Raffel, a White House spokesman who works closely with President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior advisor, Jared Kushner, as well as White House counsel Don McGahn and one of his deputies, James Burnham, the Post reports.
According to Politico, which also reported on the development, "the upcoming interviews are a sign that the FBI's wide-ranging probe into the Trump White House and campaign is intensifying."
"The staffers Mueller is targeting are all part of Trump's inner circle," notes Shane Savitsky at Axios, "and were involved with either the response to Michael Flynn's undisclosed contacts with Russian officials, or crafting the response to Donald Trump Jr.'s Trump Tower meeting with Russians, showing the key incidents on which Mueller's investigation is focusing."
In a report published by CNN late Thursday, which did not name the six aides, three sources claimed Mueller is targeting staffers who were aboard Air Force One when the administration concocted Don Jr.'s initial misleading statement about meeting with a Russian lawyer who claimed to have dirt on Hillary Clinton during the campaign. The statement was released in response to a series of explosive reports published by the New York Times in July.
"Ultimately," the Post reports, "according to people familiar with the discussions, the president dictated language for the statement that his son would release to the New York Times." Don Jr. was questioned about the meeting by the Senate Judiciary Committee for five hours on Thursday.
Citing "people familiar with the request," the Washington Post reported late Friday afternoon that Special Counsel Robert Mueller III has told the White House he would like to interview six current and former members of President Donald Trump's inner circle, including former press secretary Sean Spicer and former chief of staff Reince Priebus.
Although no interviews have been scheduled yet, Mueller warned he also will likely seek interviews with interim White House communications director Hope Hicks and Josh Raffel, a White House spokesman who works closely with President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior advisor, Jared Kushner, as well as White House counsel Don McGahn and one of his deputies, James Burnham, the Post reports.
According to Politico, which also reported on the development, "the upcoming interviews are a sign that the FBI's wide-ranging probe into the Trump White House and campaign is intensifying."
"The staffers Mueller is targeting are all part of Trump's inner circle," notes Shane Savitsky at Axios, "and were involved with either the response to Michael Flynn's undisclosed contacts with Russian officials, or crafting the response to Donald Trump Jr.'s Trump Tower meeting with Russians, showing the key incidents on which Mueller's investigation is focusing."
In a report published by CNN late Thursday, which did not name the six aides, three sources claimed Mueller is targeting staffers who were aboard Air Force One when the administration concocted Don Jr.'s initial misleading statement about meeting with a Russian lawyer who claimed to have dirt on Hillary Clinton during the campaign. The statement was released in response to a series of explosive reports published by the New York Times in July.
"Ultimately," the Post reports, "according to people familiar with the discussions, the president dictated language for the statement that his son would release to the New York Times." Don Jr. was questioned about the meeting by the Senate Judiciary Committee for five hours on Thursday.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.