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
Rudy Giuliani, former New York City mayor and current lawyer for U.S. President Donald Trump, speaks to members of the media during a White House Sports and Fitness Day at the South Lawn of the White House May 30, 2018 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Trump Lawyers Say President Willing to Talk to Mueller...So Long as He Doesn't Ask About Obstruction of Justice
"Whatever topic he says is off-limits is the topic where he's definitely committed crimes," argued one commentator
Aug 08, 2018
President Donald Trump's lawyers have reportedly sent Special Counsel Robert Mueller a "counter-offer" regarding the scope of a possible sit-down interview as part of the ongoing Russia probe, and they apparently made one key demand: Absolutely no questions about whether Trump has obstructed justice.
As New York Timesreported on Wednesday, the president's attorneys "rejected the special counsel's latest terms for an interview in the Russia investigation"--which included questions about possible obstruction of justice and a variety of other topics--and offered a far narrower framework.
While the president's legal team refused to discuss the contents of its response to Mueller, one anonymous source familiar with the response told the Times that Trump's lawyers made clear that they "do not want him answering questions about whether he obstructed justice."
Writer Parker Malloy suggested that there could be a good reason why Trump's lawyers want to avoid such questions:
According to the Times, Trump's attorneys are seriously concerned that if Trump agrees to an interview, he "could perjure himself."
But Trump appears to be convinced that he can persuade Mueller that he has done nothing wrong, so he has continued to pressure his lawyers to set up an interview.
"He just can't help himself," one Trump associate toldAxios.
Negotiations between Mueller and Trump's lawyers over a potential interview have gone on for eight months, and the special counsel has already reportedly threatened to subpoena the president if they fail to negotiate a voluntary interview.
"Only one president, Bill Clinton, has been subpoenaed while in office," the Times notes. "The president's lawyers have said they would fight a subpoena--a battle that could eventually be decided by the Supreme Court."
An Unconstitutional Rampage
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
President Donald Trump's lawyers have reportedly sent Special Counsel Robert Mueller a "counter-offer" regarding the scope of a possible sit-down interview as part of the ongoing Russia probe, and they apparently made one key demand: Absolutely no questions about whether Trump has obstructed justice.
As New York Timesreported on Wednesday, the president's attorneys "rejected the special counsel's latest terms for an interview in the Russia investigation"--which included questions about possible obstruction of justice and a variety of other topics--and offered a far narrower framework.
While the president's legal team refused to discuss the contents of its response to Mueller, one anonymous source familiar with the response told the Times that Trump's lawyers made clear that they "do not want him answering questions about whether he obstructed justice."
Writer Parker Malloy suggested that there could be a good reason why Trump's lawyers want to avoid such questions:
According to the Times, Trump's attorneys are seriously concerned that if Trump agrees to an interview, he "could perjure himself."
But Trump appears to be convinced that he can persuade Mueller that he has done nothing wrong, so he has continued to pressure his lawyers to set up an interview.
"He just can't help himself," one Trump associate toldAxios.
Negotiations between Mueller and Trump's lawyers over a potential interview have gone on for eight months, and the special counsel has already reportedly threatened to subpoena the president if they fail to negotiate a voluntary interview.
"Only one president, Bill Clinton, has been subpoenaed while in office," the Times notes. "The president's lawyers have said they would fight a subpoena--a battle that could eventually be decided by the Supreme Court."
President Donald Trump's lawyers have reportedly sent Special Counsel Robert Mueller a "counter-offer" regarding the scope of a possible sit-down interview as part of the ongoing Russia probe, and they apparently made one key demand: Absolutely no questions about whether Trump has obstructed justice.
As New York Timesreported on Wednesday, the president's attorneys "rejected the special counsel's latest terms for an interview in the Russia investigation"--which included questions about possible obstruction of justice and a variety of other topics--and offered a far narrower framework.
While the president's legal team refused to discuss the contents of its response to Mueller, one anonymous source familiar with the response told the Times that Trump's lawyers made clear that they "do not want him answering questions about whether he obstructed justice."
Writer Parker Malloy suggested that there could be a good reason why Trump's lawyers want to avoid such questions:
According to the Times, Trump's attorneys are seriously concerned that if Trump agrees to an interview, he "could perjure himself."
But Trump appears to be convinced that he can persuade Mueller that he has done nothing wrong, so he has continued to pressure his lawyers to set up an interview.
"He just can't help himself," one Trump associate toldAxios.
Negotiations between Mueller and Trump's lawyers over a potential interview have gone on for eight months, and the special counsel has already reportedly threatened to subpoena the president if they fail to negotiate a voluntary interview.
"Only one president, Bill Clinton, has been subpoenaed while in office," the Times notes. "The president's lawyers have said they would fight a subpoena--a battle that could eventually be decided by the Supreme Court."
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.