Mueller’s office asks the FBI to investigate a possible scheme to falsely accuse him of sexual misconduct

A woman is claiming that she was offered $20,000 by a GOP lobbyist to make up sexual misconduct allegations against Special Counsel Robert Mueller, and the matter has now been referred to the FBI.

Peter Carr, the spokesperson for the special counsel's office, told The Atlantic Tuesday that they learned last week of allegations that women were being offered money to make false claims against Mueller and immediately contacted federal investigators. Mueller's office was apparently tipped off about the alleged plot by several journalists, who had recently been contacted by a woman who says she worked with Mueller in 1974. In an email to reporters, she claimed that a man working for GOP lobbyist Jack Burkman offered to give her $20,000 and pay off her credit card debt.

When asked what he wanted in exchange, she says the man told her, "I want you to make accusations of sexual misconduct and workplace harassment against Robert Mueller, and I want you to sign a sworn affidavit to that effect." The woman has not been named and would not agree to an interview with reporters.

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Burkman, who funded his own private investigation into the murder of DNC staffer Seth Rich, claimed on Facebook last week that Mueller has a history of harassing women, and VOA's William Gallow reports he had been offering a "major reward" for information on "wrongdoing" by Mueller for the past few months, as Mueller has been investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election. Burkman denied knowing the woman in question, but claimed that a "very credible witness" would make sexual assault allegations against Mueller on Thursday. Read more at The Atlantic.