Tag: Russia probe

Barr appoints special counsel in Russia probe investigation

WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General William Barr has given extra protection to the prosecutor he appointed to investigate the origins of the Trump-Russia probe, granting him authority to complete the work without being easily fired.

Barr told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he had appointed U.S. Attorney John Durham as a special counsel in October under the same federal regulations that governed special counsel Robert Mueller in the original Russia probe. He said Durham’s investigation has been narrowing to focus more on the conduct of FBI agents who worked on the Russia investigation, known by the code name of Crossfire Hurricane.

Under the regulations, a special counsel can be fired only by the attorney general and for specific reasons such as misconduct, dereliction of duty or conflict of interest. An attorney general must document such reasons in writing. Continue reading.

Newly released documents prove GOP lied about FBI’s Russia probe

The following article by Emily Crockett was posted on the ShareBlue.com website July 23, 2018:

We now know that Trump and Republicans shamelessly lied to the American people about why the FBI decided to investigate the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia.

The Trump administration released a pile of documents on Saturday that proves what most sensible observers already knew: Trump and Republicans shamelessly lied to the American people about why the FBI decided to investigate the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia.

These documents — the FBI’s original requests for surveillance on Trump campaign aide Carter Page — come to us thanks to a Freedom of Information Act request from multiple news outlets.

The documents were heavily redacted, but they still told us a lot — most importantly that House Republicans lied, and probably knew they were lying, with their “release the memo” debacle earlier this year.

View the complete article here.

Trump voters warn him not to fire Mueller: ‘People would be suspicious’

The following article by Philip Rucker was posted on the Washington Post website May 16, 2018:

Senate Republicans don’t want President Trump to fire special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. They just won’t protect Mueller if Trump decides to fire him. (JM Rieger/The Washington Post)

BROOKFIELD, WI — They see the Russia investigation as President Trump does, as a witch hunt that has expanded far beyond its initial mandate with the explicit aim of delegitimizing or perhaps even overturning his 2016 election victory.

Yet these most steadfast of Trump supporters, who were among those gathered here Tuesday night as part of a focus group evaluating public opinion, said the president should not fire special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, a view shared by the Trump critics around the table. Continue reading “Trump voters warn him not to fire Mueller: ‘People would be suspicious’”

Lewandowski says he will testify this week in House Russia probe

The following article by Mike DeBonis was posted on the Washington Post website January 14, 2018:

Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, accompanied by Sebastian Gorka, Omarosa Manigault and Anthony Scaramucci, in July 2017. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

Corey Lewandowski, President Trump’s former campaign manager, said in an interview broadcast Sunday that he will give testimony this week to a House committee probing Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Lewandowski said on WABC-AM radio in New York that he expects to appear before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on Wednesday or Thursday to discuss the campaign. He told host Rita Cosby that he has not been contacted by Justice Department investigators — led by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III — who are conducting a parallel investigation. Continue reading “Lewandowski says he will testify this week in House Russia probe”

Republicans hammer Mueller, FBI as Russia investigation intensifies

The following article by Devlin Barrett and Sean Sullivan was posted on the Washington Post website December 6, 2017:

Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III is shown testifying before a 2013 Senate Intelligence Committee hearing when he was FBI director. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

Republican activists and lawmakers are engaged in a multi-front attack on special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s probe of possible connections between associates of President Trump and Russian agents, trying to stop or curtail the investigation as it moves further into Trump’s inner circle.

For months, the president and his allies have been seizing on any whiff of possible impropriety by Mueller’s team or the FBI to argue that the Russia probe is stacked against Trump — potentially building the political support needed to dismiss the special counsel.

Several law enforcement officials said they are concerned that the constant drumbeat of conservative criticism seems designed to erode Mueller’s credibility, making it more politically palatable to remove, restrict or simply ignore his recommendations as his investigation progresses. Continue reading “Republicans hammer Mueller, FBI as Russia investigation intensifies”

Ken Starr predicts indictments in Russia probe

The following article by Brandon Carter was posted on the Hill website October 7, 2017:

Ken Starr, the former independent counsel in the Whitewater and Monica Lewinsky scandals during Bill Clinton’s presidency, predicted Saturday that there would likely be indictments in special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russia’s election meddling.

“Given what we do know, especially given what happened this summer with respect to the FBI’s intrusion into Paul Manafort’s condominium, in light of the revelations that we’ve seen about General Flynn, I have a sense that there will in fact be indictments,” Starr said on CNN’s “Smerconish,” referring to President Trump’s former campaign chairman and his first national security adviser, respectively. Continue reading “Ken Starr predicts indictments in Russia probe”