Trump attorneys reportedly made case against obstruction of justice to Mueller


Special Counsel Robert Mueller has had several meetings with attorneys representing President Trump, and the lawyers have argued in memos that Trump did not obstruct justice when he fired former FBI Director James Comey this spring and that Mueller's investigation should be closed, people familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal.
Trump's team sent Mueller several memos in June, including one arguing that Comey was an unsuitable witness because he leaked information to the media and exaggerated stories, and another claiming that as president, Trump has the constitutional authority to hire and fire any officials in the executive branch as he sees fit, the Journal reports. Mueller was reportedly open to accepting these legal submissions, but has not responded to them.
Before Comey was fired in May, he was running the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russian officials. John Dowd, the leader of Trump's outside legal team, told the Journal he didn't think it was "appropriate" to share information about his discussions with Mueller, adding, "Why should I rupture a relationship with the special counsel?"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Trump sends FBI to patrol DC, despite falling crime
Speed Read Washington, D.C., 'has become one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the world,' Trump said
-
Trump officials reinstating 2 Confederate monuments
Speed Read The administration has plans to 'restore Confederate names and symbols' discarded in the wake of George Floyd's 2020 murder
-
Trump nominates Powell critic for vacant Fed seat
speed read Stephen Miran, the chair of Trump's Council of Economic Advisers and a fellow critic of Fed chair Jerome Powell, has been nominated to fill a seat on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors
-
ICE scraps age limits amid hiring push
Speed Read Anyone 18 or older can now apply to be an ICE agent
-
Trump's global tariffs take effect, with new additions
Speed Read Tariffs on more than 90 US trading partners went into effect, escalating the global trade war
-
House committee subpoenas Epstein files
Speed Read The House Oversight Committee has issued a subpoena to the Justice Department for its Jeffrey Epstein files with an Aug. 19 deadline
-
India rejects Trump threat over Russian oil
Speed Read The president said he would raise tariffs on India for buying and selling Russian oil
-
NY's Hochul vows response to Texas gerrymander
Speed Read Gov. Kathy Hochul has promised to play ball with redistricting that favors the Democrats