Special Counsel Robert Mueller and his team will meet with President Trump’s legal team “as soon as next week,” reports CNN.
President Donald Trump’s private lawyers are slated to meet with special counsel Robert Mueller and members of his team as soon as next week for what the President’s team considers an opportunity to gain a clearer understanding of the next steps in Mueller’s probe, according to sources familiar with the matter. While the lawyers have met with Mueller’s team before and might again, the sources believe the upcoming meeting has greater significance because it comes after the completion of interviews of White House personnel requested by the special counsel and after all requested documents have been turned over. Mueller could still request more documents and additional interviews.
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Trump’s lawyers are finding one other hopeful sign: The special counsel has asked the White House for a limited scope of documents related to the President directly, largely having to do with the firing of former FBI Director James Comey, two of the sources familiar with the matter told CNN. That could indicate limited interest in Trump himself, the lawyers believe.
Mueller’s probe is facing extraordinary public relations headwinds following reports the special counsel’s office removed an FBI agent who expressed anti-Trump views.
This week, Fox News published a portion of the approximately 10,000 texts messages sent between FBI agent Peter Strzok and lawyer Lisa Page. Among the messages is an exchange revealing Strzok and Page discussed an ‘insurance policy,’ against a Trump presidency.
Lisa Page also sent a text to Peter Strzok saying, ‘Trump should go f*ck himself’.
Strzok/Page texts obtained by Fox's @JakeBGibson
"LP – Jesus. You should read this. And Trump should go f himself. Moment in Convention Glare Shakes Up Khans American Life https://t.co/1nZ11E3gBC
PS – God that’s a great article. Thanks for sharing. And F TRUMP."
— Shannon Bream (@ShannonBream) December 13, 2017
Another controversy that the media has swept under the rug involves Mueller’s ethics waiver.
This week, Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton blasted “King” Robert Mueller following reports of the Sessions Justice Department refusing to reveal details on the special counsel’s ethics waiver. Approval of the waiver paved the way for Mueller to lead the ‘Russia interference’ investigation.
Kathleen Clark, a law professor at Washington University in St. Louis told POLITICO, “I think it’s strange they’re not providing the reasoning,”
“I don’t understand why they wouldn’t share it, especially given the current sensitivity of the issue and the way members of Congress are politically trying to undermine this investigation … Since the whole point of this regulation is to ensure public confidence in Mueller’s impartiality, the Justice Department’s refusal to provide its reason — I’m not saying they can’t do it legally — but it seems inconsistent with the purpose of the regulation,” added Clark.