NYT: Trump Lawyers Want to Refuse Mueller Interview
NYT: “His lawyers are concerned that the president, who has a history of making false statements and contradicting himself, could be charged with lying to investigators. Their stance puts them at odds with Mr. Trump, who has said publicly and privately that he is eager to speak with Mr. Mueller as part of the investigation into possible ties between his associates and Russia’s election interference, and whether he obstructed justice.”
To cooperate or not to cooperate? That is the question being debating at the White House, as lawyers for the president seek to persuade him that he should not sit for an interview with special counsel Robert Mueller. The president himself is said to be blase about the possibility of sitting for an interview, on the grounds he believes he did nothing wrong. And at least one of his key lawyers, Ty Cobb, is said to favor speaking with Mueller. But other defense lawyers are dubious that the special counsel has the standing to insist on an interview, and are apparently concerned the president could misspeak or embellish as he is wont to do, creating more legal headaches. If Trump does dis Mueller, you can expect that both sides will soon wind up in court to debate just how far the special counsel’s authority stretches–and how much executive privilege the president can exert.
