White House lawyers are expected to meet with Robert Mueller’s office by the end of the week, seeking affirmation that the special counsel’s investigation will soon come to an end with President Donald Trump being cleared.
However, people familiar with the investigation say that is unlikely to happen, resulting in heightened tensions between Mueller and President Trump. They add that the probe may take another year if things continue to run their course, as they have so far.
Special counsel Mueller’s office keeps requesting new documents pertaining to the campaign and members of his team expect to continue working all throughout next year.
This, however, risks aggravating the already inflamed political atmosphere surrounding the probe into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. Despite the White House’s promise to cooperate with the investigation, Trump and his allies have claimed the Justice Department and FBI are biased.
The latest attack on Mueller came only recently when he was accused of wrongfully obtaining tens of thousands of transition emails. The special counsel’s office denied the accusations, saying the materials were obtained legally.
According to The Washington Post, Mueller’s meeting with White House lawyers threatens to deepen tensions considering that many of the president’s supporters question the special counsel’s credibility while Democrats fear Trump may decide to fire Mueller.
According to a person familiar with the Trump team’s plan, White House lawyers plan to ask Mueller’s investigators whether they require any additional information before reaching a conclusion that the investigation related to Trump is over.
The president’s legal team has repeatedly assured him the documents they have handed over to Mueller contain no evidence of collusion or obstruction of justice. They are also confident that even if the investigation into former campaign chairman Paul Manafort continues well into next year, the focus on the current White House will soon be wrapped up.
Trump himself has expressed confidence that the probe will not touch him, and has indicated no concerns regarding it.
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