Robert Mueller’s prosecutors ascertained Donald Trump’s legal team that the special counsel would consider a subpoena compelling the President to testify before a grand jury if he rejects to be interviewed, according to two current U.S. officials, Bloomberg informed.
Mueller, who’s leading the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential campaign, believes he has legal standing to subpoena a sitting president, even though such a move has never been fully tested, the officials said Tuesday night. The Washington Post reported earlier Tuesday that Mueller had raised the possibility of forcing Trump before a grand jury.
Trump’s legal team is well aware Mueller could issue a subpoena, a possibility they have calculated in their strategy on negotiating an interview, according to people familiar with the team’s thinking. They have discussed a possible defense against a subpoena, including citing a 1990s ruling involving President Bill Clinton that set a standard for when a president can invoke executive privilege.
Negotiations over an interview with Trump have been going on since last year. Several Trump advisers, including his former lawyer John Dowd, are said to have opposed exposing the President to questioning by Mueller and his experienced team of federal prosecutors.
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