Donald Trump’s campaign to discredit the Russia investigation may be working. It may also be damaging American democracy.
IN A WARREN OF LOW-CEILINGED ROOMS ON THE GROUND FLOOR OF THE WEST WING, DOWN THE STAIRS FROM THE OVAL OFFICE AND NEXT TO THE SITUATION ROOM, DONALD TRUMP’S LAWYERS ARE WAGING WAR.
They’re locked in battle with Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating Russia’s interference in the 2016 election, who has indicted 19 people over the past 13 months, five of whom have pleaded guilty. Now he is homing in on the investigation’s most powerful subject: the President, whom Mueller wants to testify under oath about what he knows.
It’s a dangerous moment for Trump. If he agrees to talk, the notoriously undisciplined President risks making a false statement, which could be a crime like the one that led to Bill Clinton’s impeachment. But if he refuses, Mueller could issue a subpoena, instigating a long, high-profile court battle over whether Trump could be forced to testify. The two legal teams—Mueller’s squad of top prosecutors and Trump’s rotating cast of advocates—are haggling over what an interrogation would look like: how long it would be, what topics would be on the table and whether the session would be recorded. Before the President talks to investigators, Trump’s team wants to see the authorization letter that established Mueller’s authority, according to Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani. They are also demanding the special counsel’s report to be issued within 60 days of any interview.
This story is from the June 18, 2018 edition of Time.
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This story is from the June 18, 2018 edition of Time.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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